The Thirty Day Roommates
by nicetwin123
Summary: America and Russia have a tense relationship, so in an attempt to improve it America's boss makes America host Russia in one of his houses for a month. Neither one of them is thrilled with this, but try and not fight the best they can. Even though they clash on just about everything they can't help but both agree that they can't wait for the thirty days to end.
1. A Month! (Day 1)

America sighed as he walked to the Oval Office. His boss had called him in for some reason, and honestly, he wasn't looking forwards to it. He was supposed to be on vacation in Hawaii enjoying the sunshine, not working. Knocking on the door he heard a muffled "Enter", and he opened the door. To his surprise and annoyance, he saw that his boss wasn't alone in the office. Sitting in one of the chairs in front of his boss's desk was Russia who was sipping a cup of tea. Looking over at him, Russia gave America a small smile.

"Привет, America." Russia said cheerfully. "We were just talking about you."

"Oh, really?" America asked as he shut the door behind him and glanced over at his boss with a raised eyebrow.

"Indeed, we have." His boss said, waving America to the other empty chair. America sat down, glancing at Russia, who was still smiling softly at him. Turning his attention to his boss, he gestured for him to explain the situation.

"America, as I'm sure you already know our relationship with Russia has been a little tense for these last few years." His boss said, putting his hands together nervously. "And it is important that we keep our relationship with them healthy."

"Yes?" America said, not getting were his boss was going with this.

"So, I have been talking with Russia's government and we've come up with a plan to improve relations, but you need to cooperate with us for this to work. Russia has already agreed to go with our plan, and we just need you to get this plan started." His boss explained carefully. America frowned. He didn't like where this was heading.

"Ok, so what do I have to do? It can't be bad if Russia has agreed to it." America said lightly, trying to lighten the mood in the room a bit.

"I never said that I agreed willingly." Russia commented while he sipped his tea. America shot him a glare.

"Ahem, yes, well…" America's boss said, bringing the focus back onto him, "Basically, I want you to host Russia here in the States for a while. In one of your houses, it doesn't matter which one."

America felt his jaw drop slightly. This had not been what he had been expecting at all. "I'm sorry, you want me to do what now?" America asked with a forced laugh.

"America, it's only going to be for a while." His boss tried to reassure him. "No more than a month-"

"A MONTH?!" America said angerly, jumping out of his seat. "No way! I don't want that commie on my soil for so long!"

"Believe me, I don't wish to spend so much time in your disgusting country either." Russia said with a slight huff. "However, my boss has ordered me to go along with this."

America turned around to say something to Russia, but his boss interrupted him.

"America, Please. I'd rather you do this willingly than me having you order to do this." He said, shooting America a warning look. With an angry huff, America sat back in his chair.

"Ok, so how is this going to work?" America asked. "Do I just drop him off and then leave him to his own agenda or what?"

"No…" America's boss said with a frown. "You have to spend time with Russia, or else the whole trip would be useless. We are trying to improve relations, and in order to do that we need you two under the same roof. You will be hosting him."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" America asked, gripping the arms of the chair so hard that his nails made marks on the wood. "Just how do you think this is going to work? Me and him can barely carry a civil conversation on the best of days. We'll be at each other throats before the first day is out!"

"I am right here you know." Russia commented.

"Yeah, I'm unfortunately aware of that." America snapped back. Russia narrowed his eyes at the younger nation and tightened his grip on his tea cup.

"America, please!" His boss said, slightly raising his voice. "Russia is a guest here, and I expect you to treat him as such. That means that I'm forbidding you to get into any fights with him while he is here. If things get too out of hand, we will stop the whole thing, but I don't want that to happen because you would have failed in your job."

"Fine, I'll try." America said reluctantly. "But I give you no promises."

"I suppose that will have to do for now." His boss said with a sigh. "Now, which house will you be hosting him in?"

"How about my Hawaiian home?" America suggested. "I was planning on going there anyways this week."

"I do not handle heat well." Russia said with a frown. "Perhaps we could go somewhere a little cooler? How about Alaska?" Russia suggested with a smirk. "I would feel right at home there."

"Sorry, I don't like the cold." America said, throwing Russia a glare.

"How about your New York home?" His boss suggested. "It's far enough north where Russia would be comfortable, and it's familiar enough for you so you'd feel comfortable."

"That sounds fine." Russia said, putting his cup onto his saucer and placing it on the desk.

"I suppose that would be okay." America said with a frown. "However, my apartment there isn't as large as my other homes. It would be slightly crowded."

"Oh, I do not mind." Russia said with a small smile. "I prefer smaller places. Larger homes feel empty. We will be right in the middle of the city, Da? There would be many things for us to do."

"Yes, I suppose." America said with a slight nod.

"Then it's settled." America's boss said with a nod. "Russia will be moving in with you in a week. That will give you enough time to prepare for his visit."

Russia stood up and smiled at the President. "Thank you for your hospitality. I shall be leaving now. America." Russia gave America a final nod, and then he walked out of the room gently shutting the door behind him. America didn't say anything for a minute, making sure Russia was gone then he glared at his boss.

"This plan is stupid." America said bluntly. "Why did you even think this was a good idea? You know I can't stand that guy! If we don't get into a fist fight on our second day it will be a miracle!" America said, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"America, I am well aware of how you two interact, and to be honest with you I'm not impressed." His boss said with a huff. "You are the representation of this country, and I know that plays a part in the way you interact with Russia, but you need put that aside and try to at least be friendly with him! For goodness sakes, just this once try to tolerate him. You do yourself no favors by acting in this manner."

"Whatever." America said, standing up and walking towards the door. "But don't blame me when this little plan of yours falls apart. I'll call you when the preparations are done." And with that, America stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

America's boss sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He hoped that they could last at least a week, but he couldn't help but feel like he had made a terrible mistake.

 **Day 1: The Arrival**

"It's not fair." America whined as he walked over to the terminal where he was going to pick up Russia. He was currently on the phone with his brother Canada, who had been listening to his brother whining all week.

" _Al, it's not that big of a deal_." Canada said with a sigh. "It's only for a month. Just suck it up."

"I'm sorry, did you miss the part where I said I am literally going to have the devil as a roommate?" America asked, scanning the crowded room looking for Russia. "Do you want to host him instead? I'm sure it would do wonders for your relationship."

" _Yeah, I'm not the one with the strained relationship with him."_ Canada said. America could swear he could hear his brother rolling his eyes at him. " _Al, just be a man for once and be nice to people."_

"No way dude, that's your job." America said. "If I started being nice to people they'd start mistaking me for you, and that's not going to happen."

There was silence on the phone for a second. _"Well, I'm going to hang up now."_ Canada said cheerfully.

"Wait! I'm sorry! Don't leave me alone with the creepy bastard!" America yelped, but he heard the click of the phone and the call went dead. "Damn passive aggressive Canadians." America muttered as he put his phone back in his pocket. "This is how they fool everyone into thinking they're nice." Sighing, he looked around room at the people around him. He knew for a fact that Russia's plane had landed, and Russia wasn't hard to miss in a crowd, so where the hell was he? His boss was going to be so pissed if it turned out that he lost Russia on the first day.

He waited by the terminal for a little while longer, but after a half an hour he started to get restless. Russia was an hour late now, had he wandered off somewhere? He really didn't like the idea of Russia in his country unsupervised. No doubt Russia would get caught up in some sketchy shit. Finally, after another half an hour of waiting and trying to call Russia, America decided to go down to luggage claim and see if Russia was there. When he did get down to luggage claim, he saw an unpleasant scene. Russia was towering over the cowering man at the help desk, doing that weird laugh of his. As he got closer, he heard what they were talking about.

"Please sir, there's little we can do for the moment!" The man whimpered. "Your luggage has been located, however because it's currently in California it's going to take a while for us to get it back for you! The absolute fastest we can get it here is three business days-" but he was cut off by the wood desk under Russia's hand cracking apart a bit. Russia, still smiling, leaned down so he was eye level with the poor shaking man.

"I would like my luggage back sooner than that. I want it back by tonight." Russia demanded, giving the man a chilly smile. The man whimpered a bit, and America saw that the security team was eyeing the scene, and they were making movements to come over and break up the scene. Panicking, America ran over to where Russia was before he caused an international disaster and grabbed Russia by the shoulder.

"Hey! Buddy!" America said as cheerfully as he could. "I finally found you!" Russia turned around and was surprised to see America smiling up at him cheerfully. "I've been calling you for an hour now dude! Pick up your phone, I was worried about you!"

"You were?" Russia asked in surprise.

"Yeah, come on dude, I've got the car waiting for you and I'm parked in a two hour only parking spot." America said, dragging Russia away from the desk.

"But, they lost my luggage." Russia said, throwing the help desk a dark look. "I cannot leave until it is retrieved."

America spotted security getting closer, and panicking, America just started laughing. "Aw, come on, give them a break. It's not uncommon to lose luggage! I'll just buy you what you need!" Just then, America noticed that Russia was carrying another large bag. "Um, just what did you lose?" America asked.

Russia expression darkened. "They have lost my clothing."

"Um… but it looks like you have all of your clothing right there." America said, pointing down to the luggage in Russia's hand.

"My underclothing." Russia said.

"Your wha- Ohhhh!" America said, his face turning a shade of pink. "Oh dude, that sucks! Don't worry, I'll, um, stop by the store on the way to my place and I'll pay for you to get new ones!" He pushed Russia to the exit, and to his relief he saw security team backing off. Letting out a relived sigh, America glared up at Russia. "Hey, don't threaten my citizens." America said angerly. "If I see you doing that again, I'm going to punch you so hard you'll fly to the moon and then I'm going to stick my flag up your ass. Are we clear?"

Russia raised an eyebrow at the younger nation. "I was not threating anyone. I was simply asking for my luggage."

"I don't think breaking the desk can be considered anything but threating." America said as he led Russia to his car.

After Russia had put all his luggage into the car, America drove them to a nearby convince store and handed Russia some money. "Here, go buy what you need." America said with a huff.

"You are not going to come in with me?" Russia asked in amusement.

"Hell no!" America said, his face going pink again. "Buy your own damn underwear!" With that, America pulled out his phone and refused to make eye contact with Russia, who just chuckled.

"You're so innocent." Russia commented as he got out of the car.

"Shut the fuck up." America said, his face going red and giving him the bird.

Russia just continued to chuckle as he walked into the store. Ignoring him, America went back to checking his phone. He had a text from his brother asking how he was doing, three missed calls from England, and a few work-related emails from his boss. He shot Canada a reply that he was fine, and then wondered if he should call England back. Honestly, he already had to deal with one headache, and he didn't feel like getting chewed out today, so he ignored England's call. Plus, if it were important he would have left a voice message. Just as he was about to put his phone away, his phone started ringing. To his annoyance, he saw it was England. Ignoring the ringing phone, he threw it in the seat next to him. After a minute, it stopped ringing, and then it binged.

Looking at the phone, he saw England had left a voice mail. "Damn it, why doesn't he just text me like the rest of the world?" America muttered as he tapped on the voice message.

" _You have one new message. First unheard message."_ The machine happily said. There was a beep and the message started to play. _"America, you idiot pick up your bloody phone."_ America rolled his eyes. _"There has been a change of plans for next week concerning the meeting. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to come to the meeting because I picked up the flu from SOME cheesy bastard who couldn't cover his fucking mouth."_

" _I said I was sorry."_ A muffled voice said in the background.

" _Since you are hosting the meeting, you'll have to present my notes. Do not screw this up. I heard you were in New York, so you should be able to get things arranged. I'm sorry it's on such short notice, but I'm just not up to getting out of bed. I'll email you the details later. In the meantime, I'm going to kick a certain French man's ass. I'll talk to you later."_

" _End of messages."_ His phone chirped. America just sat there fuming. What the hell, now he had even more stuff to do? Sighing, America deleted the message. Great, just another job for him to do. He opened up a game app on his phone and started to goof off. After another ten minutes, there was a tap on his passenger side window. Looking up, he saw Russia staring back at him with a bag in his hand. America was tempted to lock the doors and speed off, but he unlocked the doors and they made their way to his house.

He pulled up to an apartment building and after parking he turned to look at Russia. Russia seemed mildly interested with the appearance of the building.

"You live in a smaller apartment complex?" Russia asked with a raised eyebrow. "I expected you to live in a building where you would have a whole floor to yourself."

"Are you kidding me?" America asked with a snort of disbelief. "Do you know how much it costs to have an apartment in New York city? And I'm not even talking about a nice apartment, I'm talking about a shitty apartment the size of a large closet. I'm lucky I got the deal I did on this place."

Russia just gave America a look which America couldn't read. "You can't afford a better location?" Russia asked.

America laughed as he got out of the car and walked back to the trunk of the car. "Oh, I could afford it easily, but I prefer to be in a place where I can talk to people. It's no fun being by yourself." America said, not seeing the frown that had formed on Russia's face. "Plus, it's nice to be surrounded by my citizens. It helps me keep in touch with what's going on in the world."

"Ah, I see." Russia said, getting out of the car. "So what kind of apartment do you have?"

"It's a pretty nice one actually." America said, carrying Russia's luggage into the building. "It's a two-bedroom one-bathroom apartment with a kitchen, living room, and laundry room."

As they walked into the lobby, Russia looked around. There was a bored older guy behind the desk reading a newspaper, and a steady flow of people coming and going. The lobby its self was rather small, with only two elevators and a staircase. The older man looked up, and spotting America, he gave America a friendly wave. America walked over to the desk with a large grin, Russia following him.

"Hey Greg, how's it been since I've been gone?" America asked.

"Quiet. I actually got shit done without you here bothering me every minute of the day." The man teased, winking at America. "And I've never been more bored."

"I knew you liked me." America said cheekily. Greg opened his mouth to reply when he spotted Russia.

"Who's your friend?" He asked nodding towards Russia.

"Oh, this is Ivan." America said. "He's a, um, friend of mine from Russia who's going to rooming with me for a while."

Greg didn't say anything, his eyebrow just rose slightly. Russia not knowing what to do smiled at the man.

"Nice to meet you Ivan." Greg said. There was an awkward pause, then Greg turned his attention back to America. "Nice seeing you Alfred."

"See you later." America said, walking over to the elevator. Russia followed, but Greg kept watching them until the elevator doors shut. Russia couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt like he couldn't trust Greg. Something about him seemed off.

"So, who is Greg?" Russia asked casually as America pressed his floor button.

"Greg? Oh, he's the owner of the building." America said. "He's also the guy who does small repairs around the place. Like if a lightbulb goes out or if your drain clogs up."

"Does he always watch people so closely?" Russia asked.

America just gave Russia a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Russia said, dismissing the topic. Just then, the elevator dinged, and they walked out. America led them down the hall and when they came to the end of the hallway America stopped at a door that had a small wooden flag on it. Grabbing his keys out of his pocket, he opened the door. As he opened the door, he stuck his foot through the small crack of the door.

"Back, back, no!" America scolded as he struggled to get through the door. Confused, Russia looked down and saw a small furry face looking back at him. America grabbed one of the suit cases and using it like a barrier he pushed the cat back into the apartment. Russia followed America through the door and once it was shut he got a proper look at the cat. It was a rather large cat, which Russia guessed was a ragamuffin or a main coon, (maybe a mix?), with brown fluffy fur around its neck and a large brown fluffy tail. It also looked like it had glasses marks around its eyes.

"Hero, what have I told you about trying to sneak out of this apartment?" America scolded as he picked up the impressively sized cat. The cat named Hero mewed at America and curled up in his arms and started purring loudly. "Yeah, yeah, don't try your cute charms on me." America grumbled as he put Hero on top of the kitchen counter. Turning around to face Russia, he motioned him to follow him. Russia picked up his bags and America led him down a small hallway that had three doors.

"The first door on the right is the bathroom, and the door on the left is my bedroom." America said, pointing them out. "If you enter my room, I will kill you." America warned, glaring at Russia. Then pointing on the door farthest down the hall, he added, "That's your room." Opening the door, America led Russia into the room.

The room was not very large, but not so small it would be uncomfortable. There was a white carpet on the floor, and a queen-sized bed at in the middle of the room. Scanning the room, Russia took in the baby blue walls and the two windows looking down on the street below, letting in the sound of the traffic below. There was a small wardrobe against one of the walls and a small bedside table with a lamp and alarm clock on it. There was also a faint smell of wood polish in the room. Over all, the room was small but had a rather lazy and comforting feel to it.

"Here's where you're going to be crashing for the next few weeks. America said as Russia walked around the room. "If you need anything just let me know." Looking down at his watch, he added, "Hey, what did you want for dinner? I'm going to order some take out because it's getting a bit too late to cook. I was thinking pizza. Is that ok?"

"Da." Russia said.

"Cool." America said, pulling out his phone and pulling up the pizza number. Russia noticed it was on speed dial. America noticed Russia looking at him with an amused expression.

America rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, the American has a pizza place on speed dial. Stereotypes are true. Blah, Blah, Blah. Just tell me what you want on top of the pizza." America huffed.

"Anything is fine." Russia said with a shrug. "I am not that picky."

"Pepperoni it is." America said as he wandered out of the room. "You can start unpacking while you wait for the pizza. I'll call you when it gets here." After America left, Russia started to unpack. After about a half an hour, he was almost done when he heard a small mew from his feet. Looking down, he saw Hero sitting by his feet studying him. Russia studied it back. They stood like that for a minute, just taking each other in, when Hero turned away and wandered to the bed. With one smooth jump he got on top of the bed and sat down on top of Russia's shirts that he had laid out.

"Shoo." Russia said, making a shooing gesture at the cat. To his annoyance, the cat didn't move at all. In fact, it looked rather amused with Russia's actions.

Sighing, Russia walked over to the bed and picked up the cat. To his surprise the cat didn't get angry or start trying to scratch his eyes out like he thought he would, (after all, it was America's cat), but instead the cat started to purr loudly and curl up in his arms like he did with America earlier. Amused, Russia started to scratch the cat under the chin. Hero started purring louder and leaned into Russia's hand. Russia was reminded of his own cat who would do the same. Chuckling, he sat down on the bed and started to pet the cat. Hero fell into a steady purr, and they sat there for about five minutes when there was a knock on the door. Looking up, Russia saw America watching him with an amused smirk on his face.

"I see you and Hero are getting are getting acquainted." America said, walking over and scratching Hero's ears. Hero started to kneed and meowed happily.

"He is quite friendly, unlike his owner." Russia commented, making America roll his eyes.

"Yeah, Hero loves everyone. Everyone in the world is his friend." America said, picking up Hero. Russia felt a twinge of sadness as the cat left his lap and the once warm spot on his lap became cold. "This cat has never raised a nail at anyone in his life." America said as he cradled Hero like a baby. He pet Hero's stomach, which Hero didn't seem to mind. "By the way, the pizza is here."

They walked back to where the kitchen was. Russia looked around the room, as he didn't get a good look the last time he was in the room. The kitchen and the living room were connected, with only as small bar separating them. The kitchen was rather small, with just a small table that sat four, and a few appliances on the wall. Most of the room was taken up by the living room. There was a worn-out couch in the middle of the room that faced a rather large wide screen TV, which had several different game consoles hooked up to it. There were a few large bookshelves surrounding the walls, filled with books and movies. The living room had a cream-colored carpet, with light green walls, but the carpet turned to tile when it got to the part of the room where the kitchen was. There was a large closet near the front door and when Russia looked closer he saw it held the washer and drying machines.

The smell of Pizza caught his attention and looking over at the table he spotted two pizza boxes. America had already pulled out a few paper plates and was already grabbing a couple of slices out the box. Hero was watching from one of the counters, his tail going back and forth and his eyes never leaving the pizza. Noticing this, America chuckled. He grabbed a few pepperoni slices off his pizza and gave them to Hero, who happily scarfed them down.

"Come and grab a piece." America said, walking over to the couch and flopping onto it carelessly. Hero jumped up and tried to sniff America's pizza, but America held the pizza so it was out of the cat's reach.  
"Oh, and just a warning, Hero is crazy about pepperoni, so he will try to get into the pizza. Keep the lid on the box down so he doesn't eat it all."

"I will keep it in mind." Russia commented as he picked out what he wanted. He sat at the kitchen table, observing America. He hadn't noticed it earlier, but he noted how the younger nation's shoulders were tensed, and how his eyes kept wondering back at Russia. He also noticed that he had tried to keep his distance from him whenever possible. Russia wasn't surprised. While America had been for the most part a polite host, he knew that America still didn't like him in his home. Not to mention him threating him a couple of times that day. Not that he blamed him, if he had to host America in his house he would most likely act the same.

They ate in awkward silence, neither one of them really knowing what to say to each other. While it was true that their relationship had improved from the Cold War, that didn't mean it was any less awkward for them to be sitting in the same room. Finally, after an agonizing fifteen minutes of silence America spoke up.

"So…" America said, putting his empty plate on the coffee table. "Was there anything you wanted to do while you were here? It's not every day you get to spend a month in New York City after all."

"I have not given much thought to it." Russia admitted.

"Oh, well." America said. "We can go a couple places. There's Central Park, The Empire State Building, Time Square, The Statue of Liberty, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a bunch of other stuff. There's always something to do here."

They fell back into silence as Russia thought about it. "Perhaps we can walk around New York and if we come across anything interesting we can stop and look." Russia suggested.

America nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Let's do that."

Again, they feel back into silence. America started to fidget a bit, playing with the edge of his sleeves. He wasn't used to feeling uncomfortable in his own home or handling awkward moments. Just as the pressure to just do something was becoming unbearable, Hero jumped up on the kitchen table and to both of their surprise starting biting one of the Pizza boxes.

"Hero!" America shouted, jumping up and rushing over to grab his cat. As he picked up Hero, he let out a loud sad cry, and dug his nails into the pizza box, dragging it to the edge of the table. Russia caught the pizza box before it fell on the floor, and America was holding a now wailing cat in his arms.

"What has gotten into you?" America scolded Hero. "I know you love pepperoni, but you can't just eat the damn box! You'll give yourself a tummy ache!"

Hero struggled out of America's arms, and ran under the couch so they could only see his tail.

"Is he ok?" Russia asked in concern. America just sighed and shook his head.

"He's sulking. Just leave him be, he'll come out in a few." Looking down at his watch again, he sighed. "I think I'm going to hit the hay for the night." He said, picking up the pizza boxes and putting them in the fridge. "You can do whatever you want, just don't leave without telling me, ok?" America said, giving Russia a serious look. Russia got a feeling that America didn't want him out of his sight.

"Of course." Russia said with a small smile.

America just made a humming noise, and with a final wave he left the room leaving Russia to himself. As soon as America was out of the room, Russia relaxed a little bit. The uncomfortable atmosphere had vanished. Not knowing what to do he got up from the table and wandered around the small living room. As he looked over the book shelves, he noticed a few pictures on some of the shelves. Taking a closer look, he saw most of them were with his brother Canada. Most of them had them doing some sort of outdoor sport, like hiking or fishing. There was one picture of America grinning and holding a rather impressive sized fish and giving the camera a dazzling smile. Scanning some of the other pictures, he spotted several different countries as well. There was a picture of Japan and America playing a video game, France baking something, America and England posing next to a birthday cake, and a few others.

Russia felt a small stab of jealousy as he looked at the pictures. America always had an easier time than him making friends. Frowning, he was about to walk away when he spotted an empty picture frame on one of the shelfs. Curious, he walked over to it. Examining it, he noticed it was rather old and quite dusty, like it had never been used before. Looking at the other frames, he observed that the rest of them were all new and dust free, like America had taken extra care to make sure they didn't get dusty. Russia put the old frame back where he had got it from and was about to see what movies America had when he spotted Hero's tail sticking out from underneath the couch.

Glancing around to make sure America wasn't around, he crouched down next to the couch and pet Hero's tail. Hero mewed and shifted further under the couch.

"Come on out kitty." Russia said, tapping his fingers next to the couch. "I will rub your ears if you do." When Hero didn't come out, Russia frowned. Then remembering what America had said earlier, he got up and walked over to the fridge. Pulling out one of the pizza boxes, he grabbed a few slices of pepperoni off the top and walked back to the couch. Crouching down again, he held a slice of pepperoni next to the gap of the couch.

"Here kitty, I have brought you a treat." Russia said. Smelling the meat, Hero's face came out from under the couch and made a grab for it. Russia pulled back the meat.

"No, you must come out to get it." Russia said with a smile. Hero narrowed his eyes, and he slowly came out from out from under the couch. "There, that wasn't so bad." Russia said happily as he gave Hero one of the slices. Hero quickly devoured the meat, and then started to purr. Russia picked him up and sat down on the couch. Hero made himself comfy on Russia's lap as Russia fed him small pieces of the pepperoni. They sat like that for about a half an hour until Russia ran out of meat. When Russia stopped handing out the food, Hero meowed loudly.

"I am afraid that was all I had." Russia chuckled as he pet Hero. Hero meowed loudly again, and to Russia surprise he got up into his face and stared at him expectedly.

"I do not know what to tell you kitty." Russia said apologetically, picking Hero off of his lap and standing up. Undeterred, Hero jumped off the couch and started to snake around Russia's legs, yowling loudly.

"Shh, you are going to wake your owner." Russia said, putting one of his fingers on his lip. Deciding he was tired, Russia made his way to his bedroom, and to his amusement he saw Hero following him meowing loudly. "I have told you, I have no more food." Russia said, picking up Hero again. To his surprise, Hero quieted as he was held and started to purr again. "Oh, that is what you wanted." Russia said as he walked into his bedroom. He put Hero on his bed as he got ready for bed. After he was done, he put Hero outside his door and closed the door, but before he could even turn around he heard a cry from the other side of the door, and small little scratching noises. Sighing, Russia opened the door and Hero ran into the room and on top of the bed again.

"I suppose you can stay for tonight." Russia said with a sigh as he got into bed. As soon as he turned off the lamp by the bed, Hero jumped on top of his chest and made himself comfy, purring loudly. Russia eventually fell asleep to the soothing sound of purring, thinking how sad it was how he got along better with cats then people.

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hey everyone! Welcome to my new story. This isn't the first time I've tried to write a continuing story instead of short stories, but I have a good feeling about this one! So basically, I'm not sure if I'm going to make this story a romantic one or not, because I've never written a romantic one before. I'm much more used to making these two have a complicated friendship, but I'm going to let you guys choose which one you want. I'm going to put a poll up on my page, so go and vote! Thanks for reading!**


	2. The First Step (Day 2)

**Day 2: The first step**

When Russia woke up the next day, he was confused by the fact that his head was vibrating. He had never felt his head vibrate like that before, so he was rather confused. Blinking, he noticed that something brown and fluffy was obscuring his vision. Looking up, he saw Hero dozing on top of his head, and that it was his tail that was covering part of his face. Chuckling, he picked Hero off his head and sat up. Hero blinked tiredly and glaring at Russia he flopped back over on the bed and started to doze off again.

Checking the clock, Russia saw it was eight in the morning. It was a little early, but Russia decided to get ready anyways so that he would be ready to go out. Walking out of the bedroom, he was surprised to see America sitting at the table in his pajamas. He had always assumed that America was a morning person, but America's tired face told him a different story. America was wearing what looked to be a T-shirt and a pair of loose pajama bottoms. His hair was sticking up in odd places, and he wasn't wearing his glasses, so his eyes were squinted. He looked tired and was holding a cup of coffee in his hands like his life depended on it. Russia noted that America looked much younger without his usual business outfits. Hearing Russia, America looked up with a start.

"Oh, I forgot you were here." America said, looking back down at his coffee.

"That is not a very nice thing for a host to do." Russia tusked.

"Fuck off." America muttered, taking a sip of his coffee. "It's too early."

"Then why are you up?" Russia asked as he walked over to the table, raising an eyebrow at the younger nation.

"Got to get work done. Fucking England." America muttered. Sighing, he noticed Russia staring at him. "What? Do I have something on my face?" America asked.

"Nyet, you do not." Russia said. "I do not know where your breakfast foods are."

"Oh, right." America said. "The plates and bowls are in the rightmost cupboard, and the cereal is on the left. The forks, spoons, and knives are in the drawer. If you want eggs, there should be a few in the fridge."

"Thank you." Russia said as he wandered around the kitchen. America watched his as Russia walked around pulling things out of the cupboards. Honestly, he had barely gotten any sleep last night. He had been reviewing England's notes until around two in the morning. That and he had been stressing about Russia in his house. America's stomach growled and with a grumble America walked over to the fridge and pulled out one of the pizza boxes and grabbed a few slices out. Without getting a plate he just went back to his seat and started to eat them. Russia just stared at America in shock.

"You are eating pizza for breakfast?" Russia asked in disbelief.

"Yep." America said.

"Cold pizza?"

"Uh-huh."

"Why?" Russia asked in with a mixture of confusion and disgust.

"Because I can." America said with a yawn. Scanning the room, America frowned. "Hey, have you seen Hero?"

"He decided to spend the night in my room." Russia said as he pulled out a frying pan and put it on top of the stove.

"Ah, that doesn't surprise me." America said with a hint of amusement in his voice. With a piece of pizza still in his mouth, America got up and walked over to one of the cupboards and pulled out a small bowl with fish patterns on it and a small can of tuna. Taking a can opener out from one of the drawers, he opened the can with a hiss. The moment he did so, there was a bang from Russia's room and the sound of running paws was heard. A second later Hero came running into the room and jumped onto the counter purring loudly. America lazily rubbed his ears and put the tuna into the bowl which Hero ate happily.

"So, did you decide where you wanted to go?" America asked, throwing the can into the trash.

"I believe we agreed yesterday to walk around the city and stop if anything caught our eye." Russia reminded America as he cracked an egg on the side of the pan.

"Ah, so we did." America said, finishing his coffee. Looking a little more alert, America finally got a good look at Russia. To his shock, Russia was only wearing pajama bottoms and no shirt. America's face went pink, and he quickly looked away.

"Dude, put a shirt on." America huffed.

Russia raised an eyebrow. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Uh, duh." America said.

Russia thought for a moment, then turned back to his cooking. "Then I will not."

America glared at Russia. "Asshole."

They sat in tense silence for a few minutes. Finally, America got up and walked over to the coffee machine. Glancing at Russia, he frowned.

"Why aren't you using the small frying pan?" America asked suddenly.

"This is the smallest one." Russia said with a frown.

"No, it's not." America said with shake of his head. Bending down and opening the cupboard, he pulled out a frying pan no bigger than his hand. Russia stared at it in bewilderment. "I call it tiny pan, and it is adorable." America said with a grin.

"Why would you need a frying pan that is so small?" Russia asked.

"Well, when you live alone you don't need to make a lot of food." America explained as he put the tiny frying pan away. "I like using the tiny pan because it makes just enough for one person, and there's less to clean up afterwards."

"I suppose that makes sense." Russia said with a slow nod, turning his attention back to his cooking.

"I also make mini pancakes with it." America said happily as he grabbed his coffee cup and took a sip. "Mattie really likes them."

"Mattie?" Russia asked, giving America confused glance.

"Oh, sorry." America said. "I'm talking about Canada, my brother."

"Ah." Russia said, taking his eggs and tipping them on a plate. Russia sat down at the table, and America sat down again at the table as well. Hero jumped up on the table and tried to sniff at Russia's food, but America grabbed him and sat him down in his lap.

"You already have food, you little fatty." America said, rubbing Hero's ears.

"Your cat, what breed is he?" Russia asked curiously.

"This little fatso?" America asked, holding up Hero who meowed in irritation. "He's a Maine Coon."

"He is rather large for a house cat." Russia observed as Hero squirmed his way out of America's grip and onto the table again.

"Well, Main coons are the largest breed of house cats." America said, running a finger along Hero's tail.

"Why do you keep calling him fat? Is he over weight?" Russia asked as Hero walked over to him and started to head butt Russia's face.

America let out a chuckle. "He's had his moments, but no it's just an affectionate term. I'm afraid he has just a healthy appetite as I do, so it's hard to keep him from eating me out of house and home. I think at the moment he weighs around eighteen pounds. That's a healthy weight for his breed, but he's pushing it. I was thinking of putting him on a diet. He's starting to gain a little too much chub."

At the word 'diet', Hero's ears flattened on his head and he let out a growl.

"Don't you growl at me in that tone of meow." America said sternly, picking Hero off the table and back on the floor.

"And who's fault is it for feeding him too much?" Russia asked in amusement.

"Hey, don't pin that on me!" America said, pointing at Hero, who was grooming himself. "He may play innocent, but he's a little devil! During the night he'll go into the kitchen and open the cupboards and chew his way through the cat food bags and eat them! If you look where I took the food out, you'll see I've put a twisty tie on the handles to keep him out."

Russia turned around and just as America said, there was a tie around the cupboard.

"Do you own any cats?" America asked as he stirred some cream into his coffee.

"Da, I do." Russia said as he turned back around. "He is a Siberian Forest Cat."

"What did you name him?" America asked.

"Milashka." Russia said, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

America started laughing. "No way, you named your cat Cutie?"

"I thought it to be an appropriate name." Russia argued, his face turning a darker shade of pink. "He is small and cute." Then a look of realization came over his face. "You know Russian?"

"A little." America confessed. "Not enough to know how to speak fluently, but enough to get by if needed."

"I thought you only knew how to speak English and were too arrogant to learn any new languages." Russia said as he finished his breakfast.

America pouted, much to Russia's amusement. "I don't get why everyone thinks that. I speak Spanish fluently! I also know French, German, some Italian, Japanese, a bit of Russian and a few bits in other languages!"

"How do you know so many?" Russia asked, taken aback by how much America knew.

America smiled. "What kind of country would I be if I couldn't understand my citizens! I've put in a lot of time trying to learn the languages of the immigrants who move here. After all, they worked hard to be citizens!"

Russian was speechless. He had always heard American's were too prejudiced towards foreigners, and that they demanded that everyone spoke English. "But I thought-" Russia started to say when America cut him off with a sigh.

"Yeah, and to be honest some of my citizens do want everyone to speak English." America said with a shrug. "Then again, as a country I have no official language. However, the states do have official languages, but which one's depend where you are. For example, many of the southern states have Spanish and English down as official languages."

"That is interesting." Russia said standing up and walking over to the sink. Then a thought accrued to him. "Just how did you know the word for 'Cutie' in Russian?"

"I overheard a Russia couple using it once." America said. "I didn't know what it meant right away, but I asked them."

"You interrupted a couple on their date just to ask what a word meant?" Russia asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, but they were nice about it." America said as he finished his coffee and stood up. "They actually were excited that I understood them a bit in their native language, so they talked to me for a while."

Russia didn't reply, but just gave America an unreadable look.

"Oh, and just put your plate in the dishwasher." America added as he walked out of the kitchen and headed towards his room. "I'm going to be in my office for about an hour. I need to get some work done before we go. We'll head out in around one o'clock, that sound good?"

"Da, it does." Russia said, opening the dishwasher.

"Cool." America said cheerfully, walking into the hall. America walked into his room, and as soon as he closed the door he let out a sigh of relief. So far, so good. He was quite pleased with how things were going. Despite a few awkward pauses, they hadn't gotten into any major fights.

America walked over to the small desk that was shoved against the wall and sat down in the spinning chair. He spun the chair around a few times for fun, and then he looked down at his phone. He saw that he had a text message. Looking closer, he realized that it was Mattie.

 **MapleDude: How is it going?** America read. Sighing, America typed a quick reply.

 **Me: We haven't killed each other yet.**

America heard the bathroom door open in the hall and close, and a second later heard the shower running. Ignoring it, he felt his phone buzz.

 **Mapledude: That's good. What are your plans for today?**

 **Me: Not sure. I'm just going to be wandering around the city today.**

 **Mapledude: That sounds fun. Are you going to take Russia with you?**

 **Me: No, I'm going to leave the commie alone in my house.**

 **Mapledude: I get a feeling that you're being sarcastic with me.**

 **Me: No, really?**

America swore he felt his brother's eyes roll.

 **Mapledude: You should take him to that coffee shop.**

 **Me: Which one? This is New York City, there are like a billion coffee shops here.**

 **Mapledude: The one in Hell's Kitchen. The one we went to last summer.**

 **Me: The one that's kind of hidden from the street?**

 **Mapledude: Yeah, that one. They have great maple drinks!**

 **Me: I swear, your head is full of Maple.**

 **Mapledude: Maple Syrup is the best thing that's ever happened to me.**

 **Me: Excuse you! What about me?! I'm your bro!**

 **Mapledude: Not even close.**

 **Me: I thought Canadians were supposed to be nice! :(**

 **Mapledude: One name. Justin Bieber.**

 **Me: I hate you so much right now.**

 **Mapledude: :)**

 **Mapledude: Have you heard about England?**

 **Me: Yeah, he left me a voice message about it.**

 **Mapledude: Do you need help with setting up the meeting?**

 **Me: Nah, everything's done for the most part, I just need to go over England's notes.**

 **Mapledude: Ok, just tell me if you need help though. I gtg, I'm helping France make England some soup. Text you later.**

 **Me: Later.**

America sighed as he placed his phone back on the desk. Looking over at the stacks of paper on his desk he cringed. There was nothing on this planet that he hated more than paper work. It was so boring! God, he could feel his brain shriveling up from how much paper work bored him. And he had just gotten it done yesterday when Fucking England had to send more!

Sighing, he grabbed the first paper on the stack and started to read it.

Meanwhile, Russia had just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed when he heard a wail of despair come from America's room. Deciding that he really didn't want to know what was going on, Russia ignored the noise. Walking out of the bathroom he was greeted by Hero, who dashed towards him and started to snake between his legs purring loudly.

"Hello." Russia said, crouching down and rubbing Hero's whiskers. Hero started to sniff Russia's shirt in interest. "You must be smelling Milashka." Russia said with a small chuckle. Picking Hero up, he walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Grabbing a remote, he turned on the news. For a while, nothing of interest was talked about other than the weather. Growing bored, Russia started to play with Hero by running his hand up and down the couch and letting Hero chase it.

"In further news, there has been a rise in crimes throughout the city." The news anchor said. Curious, Russia stopped playing with hero and turned up the volume. "In the last month, there has been a steady rise in small crimes, such as muggings and pick pocketers. While we are not sure what the reason for this is, police say that people should keep an eye out for suspicious individuals and to be cautious when out at night. I know I will. And now Tom with the latest on the political world."

Russia tuned out after that. He had no interest in America's politics, as he already heard enough about them in his own meetings back home. Turning down the volume again, he started to channel surf until he landed on a comedy show. It was ok, so he continued to watch it until America came out of his room a few hours later. America was dressed in a simple hoodie and jeans, and he was wearing his glasses again. He looked a little frazzled, but cheerful. Glancing at Russia, he nodded towards the door.

"So, are you ready to go?" America asked, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Time's a ticking."

"I am." Russia said. He gently lifted the sleeping cat off of his lap and walked over to the door where America was grabbing his coat.

"Cool." America said, grabbing his coat from the hook by the door. As well as his gloves and his hat.

"Are you cold?" Russia asked in confusion as he watched America wrap up.

"Yeah, it's freezing out there." America said as he put on his gloves. Glancing at Russia's thin jacket, he frowned. "Aren't you going to put on something heavier than that?"

"No, it isn't very cold." Russia commented with a shrug as he grabbed his scarf from the hook and put it around his neck.

"Speak for yourself." America sniffed. "Unlike you and my brother, I thrive in warm weather."

Russia just chuckled a bit and pat America on the head. "You would never survive a day in my country." With that, Russia opened the door and stepped out into the hall. Annoyed, America followed him.

After America locked up the apartment, they made their way down to the lobby where Greg was hanging out at the desk again. He gave them a small wave, but as soon as he saw Russia he started to watch him again, making Russia a bit uncomfortable. He didn't like how he was studying him like something under a microscope.

"Why does he keep watching us?" Russia asked America as they walked out onto the street.

"Who? Greg?" America asked, looking at Russia with a confused frown. "Ah, he was probably just bored." America said with a shrug. Stretching a bit, America looked around with a thoughtful look. "If we go straight, we're going to end up near the Museum, and if we go left we'll end up in central park. Which way do you want to go?"

"It has been a while since I have been to the park." Russia said. "Why don't we head in that direction?"

"Sounds good." America said turning around and walking in that direction. "It's just a ten-minute walk from here."

"Your apartment seems to be in a very nice location in the city." Russia observed.

"Like I said, I got a good deal on it." America said with a smug look.

"And how did you get such a good deal on it?" Russia inquired as he looked around him observing the city.

"Trade secret." America said, winking at Russia. Russia rolled his eyes at the answer but didn't press further as they rounded a corner. America felt himself relaxing a bit as he walked through the familiar city. Honestly, he could spend the rest of his life here and he could never get bored. Everything was always on the move and changing enough where things never got stale. He let the loud noises of the cars and people wash over him as they walked, feeling the city.

"It is very busy today." Russia observed.

"Well, yeah." America said with a roll of his eyes. "It's New York, I'd be shocked if it were quiet."

"That's not what I meant." Russia said, looking annoyed. "There seem to be more people out than usual. I was wondering if there was a reason for that."

"Oh, yeah. That's probably because it's the holiday season. Christmas is only three weeks away you know." America said with a slight shrug. "People are trying to get their shopping done early so they don't have to worry about it later."

"You have not decorated your apartment yet?" Russia asked as they stopped at a crosswalk. America let out a dry laugh, his breath clouding around him from the cold.

"I haven't had time. I was planning to spend most of my time down south actually, so I sent all my Christmas stuff to my home in California. I still need to find some way to get it up here."

"Oh." Russia said, feeling a bit guilty. He knew how much America adored Christmas and he hadn't realized before then that he was intruding in on his plans.

"It's fine." America said, noticing the shift in attitude of the taller nation. "It's not your fault. If anything, it's our bosses shitty timing that's to blame. And speaking of stuff that needs to be shipped, did the airport ever send you an email about your luggage?"

As the crosswalk sign went from red to green, Russia shook his head. "No, they never did." Russia grumbled. "I am afraid I will never see my luggage again."

"It's your own fault dude." America pointed out as they crossed the street. "If you didn't try to make the guy at the desk nearly piss himself from fear he might have been more willing to help."

"Then he should have not lost my luggage in the first place." Russia said darkly. America considered telling Russia that it wasn't his fault, but he decided against it. It wasn't worth it.

They walked in silence for the rest of the time, until they made it to Central park. There were a number of people of people milling around. There were joggers and people walking their pets on the paths, while on the grass there were children playing in the snow building snowmen and throwing snowballs at each other.

"Why don't we walk down one of the paths?" America suggested.

Russia hummed in agreement and they set down a random path.

They had just been walking for about ten minutes making random comments here and there when Russia stopped walking. Confused, America looked over at Russia and saw him looking over to his right. Following his gaze, he saw Russia was looking at people ice skating nearby.

"I had forgotten you had an ice rink in this park." Russia said.

"Oh yeah. That's Wollman Rink." America said. "It's been awhile since I've thought about it. I usually go to the Rockefeller Center Rink."

"Isn't it more crowded there?" Russia asked.

"Yeah, but that's why I like going there." America said with a shrug. "I like watching people on the ice."

Russia didn't respond, then glancing at America he made his way towards the rink. "It is a good day for skating." Russia commented lightly.

"Uh, I guess." America said, taken aback. He hurried up to catch Russia. After getting their skates, Russia slid onto the ice with no trouble at all, making large circles in the ice. However, America hesitated on the edge. Noticing this, Russia slid back over to where America was standing.

"Why are you not skating comrade?" Russia asked, smirking at America. America glared up at Russia.

"Something tells me you know exactly why." America snapped.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Russia said innocently.

"It's nothing." America muttered, carefully stepping onto the ice. He clutched the edge of the rink, but after taking three steps on the ice his feet slipped out from underneath him. Letting out a cry of alarm, America fell on his butt.

Russia let out a snort of laughter and America glared up at him. "Man, shut up." America grumbled, as he grabbed the wall again and tried to pull himself up.

"Do you not know how to ice skate?" Russia asked, leaning against the wall as America struggled to get up off the ice.

"Jeez, I don't know. Do I _look_ like I know how to skate?" America snapped as he struggled to get his footing.

Russia watched America struggle for another minute, then with an exaggerated sigh he leaned over and picked America up by his collar and placed him on his feet. Surprised by the sudden movement America almost fell over again but Russia caught him and dragged him over to the entrance and made him step off the ice.

"Thanks." America muttered, his face red from embarrassment.

"Why did you not just say you did not know how to skate?" Russia asked, looking far more amused than he had any right to be.

America muttered something that Russia couldn't understand and refused to look Russia in the eyes as his face turned a bright scarlet color.

"I did not catch what you said." Russia said.

"Because it's embarrassing." America snapped.

Russia frowned. "I fail to see how it is embarrassing to not know how to ice skate. Many people do not know how."

"I mean… I don't have to tell you!" America said defensively, folding his arms over his chest with a huff.

Russia looked at the embarrassed younger nation and mentally rolled his eyes. Grabbing America, he pushed him back towards the ice.

"Dude, what are you doing?!" America yelped, trying to get out of Russia's grip. "I just got off that death trap!"

"I am going to teach you the basics of ice skating." Russia explained as they got to the edge of the ice.

"Really?" America asked in surprise, forgetting to be angry and starring at Russia with his mouth hanging open.

"Do not be mistaken. I am only doing this because it is physically hurting me watching you butcher the ice. It insults me." Russia said calmly.

America snorted. "If that's the case then I shouldn't learn so I can cause you pain on demand."

"Oops." Russia said cheerfully as he pushed America back onto the ice with a smile.

"You asshole!" America yelled as he waved his hands franticly to try and stay upright. But he ended up losing his balance again and falling forwards. Before he hit the ice, Russia caught him again.

"Lesson number one, do not insult the instructor." Russia said as he dragged America back off the ice. "You will be punished."

"What the hell is this? Boot camp?" America muttered as he stood up again, fixing his glasses which had become crooked from the fall.

"The first thing you need to learn is how to step on the ice." Russia said, positioning America next to the ice. "First, put your hand on the barrier." Russia said, showing America where to put his hand.

"Okay…" America said unsurely, putting his hand down.

"Next, instead of walking onto the ice like you did before I want you want you to walk onto it sideways." Russia said, demonstrating the movement as he stepped onto the ice. "Then place your feet into a V formation."

America glanced at the ice unsurely, then hesitantly stepped onto the ice like Russia instructed him too. He was surprised to find that his feet didn't slip out from underneath him again and he felt a bit more balanced.

"Good." Russia said after he looked over America's posture. "Now, keep holding onto the barrier and what I want you to do is practice picking up your feet. This is going to help you learn how to keep your balance." Russia continued, showing America the foot movement.

After that was done, Russia pushed him out towards the ice again. Panicking, America was about to throw his arms out when Russia stopped him. "Don't wave your arms." Russia said, placing America's arms in front of him. "Instead, put your arms out slightly like you were leaning on a desk. Also, bend your knees a bit, loosen up."

"God, I feel like I'm at a dance practice." America joked as he followed Russia's instructions.

"Many people do take dance lessons and skate." Russia said. "They are surprisingly related to each other in a way. Both dancing and Ice skating require a certain amount of flexibility, balance, and form. So, if you took the elegant movement of someone who practices Ballet and combined it with the fluent motion of an ice skater you get quite a beautiful picture."

"I've never really thought about that." America said with a frown.

"Do you dance?" Russia asked.

America laughed. "I know a few dances, but nothing that would help me on the ice, trust me."

"Somehow, I believe you." Russia said with a chuckle. "Now, I want you to pick up your feet and try and glide forwards a bit while keeping your hands out."

America slowly started to move forwards doing the same foot movement, and to his shock he started to move forwards.

"DUDE!" America said excitably. "I'm moving!"

"Very good." Russia said as he watched America get the hang of it. About ten minutes later, America was able to skate a little easier, but then he ran into a different problem.

"Uh, I have a small question." America asked as he glided across the ice.

"And what would that be?" Russia asked as he skated next to America.

"How do I stop?" America asked.

"Ah, I forgot to tell you that. How silly." Russia said, shaking his head. "Push on the inside edge of your skates and quickly turn your hips and push out on the inside edges. Remember to center yourself so you don't fall over." Russia grabbed America and stopped him, then skating ahead a bit he demonstrated for him. Then he made America copy him. After a few failed attempts, America was able to get the hang of it.

"Dude, this is awesome!" America said excitably as he zoomed around on the ice. "I've always wanted to ice skate. It's just as fun as I thought it would be!"

"Why have you never learned before now?" Russia asked curiously. "Staying on the sidelines for so long must have been boring."

America looked embarrassed, and looking around, he grabbed Russia and headed towards the edge of the rink where no one could hear them. "Look, it's pretty stupid, but because you actually taught me how to skate I'll tell you so we're even. It had to do with something when I was smaller."

"Oh?" Russia asked, interested.

"When I was still a colony, England left me and Canada alone a lot. We kind of took care of our self's and for the most part we didn't have that much trouble. But one day Canada and I went out playing out near a frozen pond and he wanted to go ice skating and offered to teach me. I was all for it, but after a while Canada disappeared, and I got scared. I ran out into the weaker part of the ice looking for him and I fell through. I almost ended up drowning, but Canada came out of nowhere and saved my ass. After that Canada made me promise not to go out on the ice without him or someone else I know around, so I haven't."

"Even on ice rinks?" Russia asked in surprise.

"Yeah, a promise is a promise." America said with a laugh. "I've tried to get him to teach me again, but ever since he's started playing hockey he's gotten aggressive on ice and he keeps disappearing, so he gave up teaching me years ago. England's temper is too short to teach me, France didn't want to teach me because he said ice skating was an art and I was a bull in a china shop, and I was too embarrassed to ask anyone else. Although Japan tried after a show came out in his country about it, but he was a surprisingly bad teacher." Then looking alarmed he added, "Don't tell him I said that."

"I would never." Russia assured, but filed it under potential blackmail.

"So, yeah." America said awkwardly. "Before now I just watched people skate around this time of year. I was always too busy to hire someone to teach me, so I kind of gave up."

"Why did you never ask me?" Russia asked. "You know I know how to skate."

"We don't exactly have a friendship to the point I would ask you." America admitted. "That would be like if you came up to me one day and asked me how to make a burger from scratch. I would probably think you were punking me or something."

"Ah, I see." Russia said with a nod. Just then, he noticed America was shivering slightly. "Are you cold?" Russia asked.

"I'm actually freezing right now." America said with a laugh. "I just didn't want to be a kill joy. Plus, I just learned how to skate for the first time in my life, no way I was going to let a little bit of cold stop me from enjoying this."

"You should say something." Russia said with a frown.

"Nah, you looked like you were having fun." America said, waving away Russia's concern. "I don't mind."

Russia looked down at his watch. "It is almost time for lunch. Did you want to go get something to eat?"

"Do I ever." America said happily, gliding over to the exit. "Hey, I know this great little coffee shop near here. Actually, seeing as it's in Hell's Kitchen we might have to take a taxi. But it has the best sandwiches!"

"That sounds fine." Russia said, following America to the exit. After returning their skates, they made their way out of the park with America excitably telling Russia about the little coffee shop.

Just before they reached the edge of the park it started to lightly snow. America looked up and smiled. "Aw yeah, fresh snow!" America said happily, stopping to admire the falling snow flakes around him.

"I thought you didn't like the cold." Russia said.

"I don't for the most part, but I love snow." America said with a large grin. "You can do all sorts of stuff with snow! You can go skiing, snowboarding, have snowball fights, make snow sculptures, and build snowmen."

"I am afraid I find it to be nuisance." Russia admitted.

"Then you just aren't looking at it right." America said with a laugh.

"I am doubtful of that." Russia said dryly, blinking as the snowflakes started to stick to his eyelashes. "Snow is nothing more than an inconvenience that must be dealt with before it becomes a problem."

"You sound like a grumpy old man." America huffed.

"I have lived in the snow for much longer than you." Russia said with a bitter tone. "I have lived through many harsh winters, struggling to survive. Snow brings no joy to my land, only chilling me to the bones and taking all the life that once thrived there before it. Once you have seen one winter, you have seen them all, and the once beautiful snow turns into something ugly. So no, I am not looking just looking at it wrong."

"Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine today." America muttered, putting his hands into his pockets.

"It is the truth." Russia said as they continued to walk towards the street. "It is not always pleasant."

"Yeah, but jeez man, you don't have to sound like the undertaker." America pointed out as they stepped out onto the sidewalk. "Cheer the fuck up, you're making me depressed."

"Then I shall continue as I am." Russia said with a slight smirk. "You are too cheerful, it might do you some good to be sad every once and a while."

"And here I thought you were warming up to me." America joked.

"Unlikely." Russia said with a snort.

Shaking his head in amusement, America hailed a taxi and gave the taxi driver the address of the Coffee shop. As the taxi sped off, Russia found himself holding on to the door handle for dear life as the taxi driver sped down the streets at high speeds and whipped around tight corners. To Russia's horror, the taxi driver was laughing gleefully each time he jumped a curb or almost hit someone. Clearly, the man was insane, and they were going to die. Glancing over at America he saw that the younger nation had turned green. When the taxi barely missed getting hit by another car as it went through a red light, that's when Russia decided he had had enough. He shouted for the driver to stop, which the driver did almost sending him and America face planting into the front seats. He opened his door and stormed over to the driver.

"You are crazy." Russia said angerly.

"Part of the job." The driver laughed.

"I'm not sure if that's true." America muttered as he stumbled out of the car, holding his stomach.

"Ah, you're just being a pair of baby's." The driver said with a huff. Then he held his hand out towards Russia. "Pay up."

Russia's aura turned dark in a second, and he stared down at the cabbie with all his fury. "You expect us to pay after you almost got us killed?" Russia asked angerly, his hands balling into fists.

"I've got to make a living pal." The cabbie huffed, not even phased by Russia's livid look.

Russia narrowed his eyes, and he made a movement like he was going to strangle the cabbie when America grabbed him and pushed him out of the way. "Dude, it's fine." America said, pulling out money out of his wallet and handing the cabbie some money.

"You should be more like your friend." The cabbie said to Russia with a smirk as he reached for the money. "But I guess you Russian types don't have manners."

Russia's expression turned murderous, and America smile froze on his face. Russia made to crush the man's skull, but America put his arm out to stop him. "I'm sorry," America said as he pulled the money away from the man's hand with a cheerful smile, "what did you just say to my friend?"

The man sneered at them. "You heard me. He's a damn Russian, they can't be trusted. Damn dirty commie. He's probably a dirty immigrant taking all of our jobs and rigging polls." The man said, spitting in Russia's direction.

America's smile fell off his face, and he glared down at the man. "I think you should apologize." America said quietly.

"Or what? What are you going to do boy?" The man said with a laugh. "Just fork over the money or I'm going to call the cops on you for stiffing me. So just be a good kid and pay up."

America glanced back at Russia, who's attention was solely fixed on the man's face. Then with a sigh he handed Russia the money and in one fluid motion he grabbed the cabbie by his shirt collar and pulled him clear out the taxi window and held him up about a foot off the ground. The man shouted in alarm, and America pulled his panicked face to his furious one.

"Listen to me." America snarled as the man cowered in his grip. "If you don't apologize to my friend right now not only will I throw you through that brick wall over there, I will also punch you in the face until your face is so unrecognizable that your own mother won't be able to recognize you. You will not get payed, and if I hear so much as a peep out of you I'll call your company and sue your ass so hard you'll be lucky to be left with the cloths on your back. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?"

The man nodded hurriedly, and America dropped him onto the ground. The man stammered out an apology to Russia, and quickly got back into his taxi and peeled away from them. Russia stared in shock as America sighed.

"Dude, I'm so sorry about that." America said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"You defended me?" Russia asked, still trying to understand what the hell just happened.

"Well, yeah." America said, looking down at the ground worriedly. "What he said was unacceptable. You're a guest in my country and I won't let people treat you poorly. Dude, Russia, I'm so sorry that happened. I swear, not everyone is like him!"

Russia frowned as he saw America stressing out. "You threatened one of your own citizens for me?"

America's face went dark again. "I don't like bullies. Never have, never will. I won't tolerate anyone one being spoken down too just because they come from somewhere else, and I sure as hell won't stay quiet when someone is doing something wrong. If that means threating someone to make them back off, then so be it." Then America looked ashamed of himself. "Not that defends my actions right now. What I did was wrong. I shouldn't have threatened him like that, even if he said all those things. I just got really pissed off."

Russia stared at America for a moment, then he started to chuckle. America looked annoyed. "Dude, what's so funny? I could get in serious trouble if my boss finds out about this!"

"I just never thought I would see the day I would see you fight someone for calling me a commie." Russia said. "Seeing as not a week ago you called me the exact same thing."

America opened his mouth to respond but stopped short. With a conflicted expression on his face, he closed his mouth and stared at Russia. Then turning around, he muttered, "I guess I did." There was a tense silence, then America cleared his throat. "So, Coffee." He said, gesturing up the street. "The place is just a block away." And with that America practically ran up the street with Russia following him. They walked in silence, both lost in their thoughts.

Finally, after what felt like forever, they walked up to an alleyway, and America turned down it. Russia followed and saw that the sign of the coffee shop. It read, "The Little Coffee Shop." A little on the nose, Russia decided, but not the worst name he'd ever heard. As they entered, Russia realized that the sign had not been exaggerating when it said 'small'. There were only four tables with two seats each, and a small counter where one person was standing, looking extremely bored. The person behind the counter looked up when the bell above the door rang, and his face lit up when he saw Alfred.

"Al!" The guy said happily. "It's been awhile. What can I get you and your friend?"

"I'll take the usual. Uh, what did you want?" America asked Russia awkwardly.

"I will have a black coffee." Russia said with a shrug, wiping off the snow that had built up on his shoulders.

After getting their drinks, they sat down by one of the tables next to one of the windows. They sat in silence, Russia staring out the window watching the snow fall and America just staring down at his cup. At some point, Russia glanced over at America, and saw that he looked upset, even angry about something. Looking back at the snow, he saw a group of children running through the street, throwing snowballs at each other and laughing. He watched them for a while, the glancing back America he saw the younger nation just looking blankly at his mostly untouched drink. Bored by the lack of conversation, Russia spoke up.

"This coffee shop, how did you find it?" Russia asked, taking a sip from his drink. America jumped at Russia's voice.

"Oh, uh… Me and Mattie were hanging out and he spotted the shop from outside the alley. I don't know why, but he has a knack for finding little unknown shops." America said with a shrug. "Mattie really likes this place, and he always comes here when he visits New York. Apparently, he likes the Maple drinks they serve here."

"Are you very close with your brother?" Russia asked.

America's face brightened up and a big smile grew on his face. "Yeah! We're very close! We hang out all the time whenever we aren't busy." Then his smile dropped a bit. "But I haven't seen him as much recently due to some political stuff."

"Are you two fighting?" Russia asked with a frown.

America shook his head. "No, of course not! Geez, I couldn't ever see myself really fighting with him these days. I mean, the guy is literally flawless! I've never heard anyone say anything bad about him." America added with a laugh. "Although he gets annoyed with me from time to time, but whatever. We always work it out in the end."

"I noticed a few pictures in your living room with him." Russia said with a small smile. "You have a rather unique bond with him. I doubt I have ever seen such a close bond between two countries before."

"Oh, we've had our moments." America said with a grimace, his hand coming up to where his heart was. Then he smiled again. "But like I said, we've always gotten over our fights. We're too alike each other to feel too much resentment to each other."

Russia frowned thinking of his own sisters. Then he remembered something from the day before. "May I ask you a question?" Russia asked.

"Sure, shoot." America said, taking a drink from his cup.

"When I was looking around your apartment, I saw an old empty picture frame on one of your shelves. I was just wondering why you would have such a thing on display."

America laughed and put his mug down. "Oh, that old thing? It's just waiting for a picture to put into it. I'm saving that frame for a special occasion.

"And what would that be?" Russia asked, intrigued by what America had said.

"It's a secret." America said with a wink.

Russia couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed by America's explanation but before he could press the matter a snowball whacked at the window and looking over at the window they saw the group of children from before laughing at them and running away. America chuckled at their antics and waved at them.

As soon as the kids were out of sight Russia faced America again.

"Would you have beat that man up earlier like you said?" Russia asked. America sighed.

"No, of course not." America said, shaking his head. "He's one of my citizens. In all honesty I would never harm one of my citizens unless I had no choice. And even then, I don't enjoy it. All I simply did was use a scare tactic."

"He didn't seem frightened of me." Russia said with a frown.

"He was probably being over cocky." America said with a shrug. "When people have prejudices against people, they tend to underestimate them and not take them very seriously."

Russia nodded, well aware of what America was talking about.

America picked up a sugar packet off the table and threw it at Russia. Russia blinked in surprise as the packet hit his forehead and then he glared at America, who looked amused.

"What are you doing?" Russia asked, a little miffed.

"That's for trying to hurt one of my citizens." America explained. "Although in his case I'm not as mad. So instead of punching you I'm going to throw sugar at you. That and it was to break up the tension a bit."

Russia stared at America, then he chuckled as he peeled the sugar packet off his head. "You are a very strange person."

"So everyone keeps telling me." America said with a small laugh. They finished their coffee in comfortable silence, and eventually America glanced down at his watch. "Did you want to head back now?" America asked. "I think I've had enough excitement for one day."

"Da." Russia agreed, and after taking a none crazy taxi back to America's apartment, they walked back into the lobby. Much to Russia's relief, Greg wasn't at the desk. There was an older lady at the desk who was doing something on the computer though, but they didn't stop to chat as they made their way up to America's apartment. Like before, America opened the door and had to shoo Hero back into the room, but this time Hero was meowing loudly and snaking around both of their legs.

"Oh my god, I know." America complained as he picked up Hero who was still meowing loudly. Making his way to the cupboard, he plopped Hero on the counter and as he opened the cupboard Hero tried to stick his head into it, but America pushed him out.

"Cut that out." America scolded as he pulled out a can of food and taking a bowl out he fed Hero, who eagerly attacked the food.

"He's rather eager." Russia said with a chuckle as he pet Hero.

"Hmmm." America hummed as he washed out the can. "That's one way of putting it."

After he was done eating, Hero groomed himself and watched as Russia went and sat in the living room and America rummaged around in the fridge. More interested in what Russia was doing, he walked over to his him and rubbed up against him, and Russia lifted him onto his lap again.

"Hey, I'm going to be making stew tonight." America called out as he pulled out a large slab of meat and vegetables. "It's going to be awhile before it's ready, so if you wanted to go take a nap or something go ahead."

"I think I will just watch the news." Russia said as he turned on the tv.

"Suit yourself." America said as he started to make the dinner. About an hour and a half later, Russia smelled something rather good. Hero must have agreed because he stretched out his body, and then hopped off the couch and wandered into the kitchen.

America had his earbuds in and he was sitting by the pot as he was watching a video on his phone. Hero jumped up on the counter and was about to sniff the pot when America looked up and let out a cry of alarm. Jumping up, America grabbed Hero and dragged the cat away from the hot stove.

"Bad kitty." America said, putting Hero back on the ground.

Hero just glared at America and hid under the kitchen table sulking again.

"Why are you mad?" America asked as he sat back down at the table. "I stopped you from hurting yourself. Stop being mad at me."

His only response was a nip on his toe. Rolling his eyes, America went back to his video.

After another half an hour, the timer went off and America started to pull out the plates when Russia wandered in.

"Is the stew ready?" Russia asked.

"Yeah, it just got done." America said as he handed Russia the plates. "Here, why don't you set the table while I finish up here."

After the table was set America served out the stew, along with a few pieces of bread. Then to Russia's confusion he pulled out a chunk of meat off his plate and put it on a small plate next to his and started to cut it up into shreds. America noticed Russia watching him and laughed. "This is Hero's share." Calling Hero, he placed the dish on the floor, and Hero attacked it eagerly.

"You would have thought I never fed that beast." America said with a chuckle. "Alright, lets dig in."

"I was not aware you could cook." Russia said as he sampled the stew. He was pleased to find that it had a pleasant taste.

"Yeah, how on earth did I ever feed myself before fast food. I wonder." America said sarcastically, dipping his bread into the stew and eating it.

Russia laughed at the sarcasm. "I did not mean to offend. It is just that I have rarely seen you without some sort of burger or fast food near you."

"Well, you see me at the meetings most of the time, so of course you only see me with fast food." America said with a frown. "It's easier to grab something from a fast food place then it is to get up and prepare something beforehand."

"It really is not that hard." Russia said. "You just have to get up early."

"Uhh, no thank you." America said, making a face. "Sleep is way too important to me. I love food, but I can eat whenever I want. I can't sleep whenever I want."

Russia studied America. "I always took you as a morning person before now." Russia admitted.

America burst out laughing. "Oh man, that's a good one." Russia just raised an eyebrow. Noticing this, America stopped laughing. "No way, you really thought that?" America said in surprise.

"You have always been loud and cheerful at even the most early in the day meetings. I just assumed." Russia said with a shrug.

"That would be the miracle of caffeine." America said. "Why do you think I always have a soda on hand at those meetings? They're just full of the stuff and they're cheaper than buying a coffee from Starbucks."

"I just grouped it with the fast food." Russia said guiltily.

"You should give it a try. The caffeine I mean." America said as he stabbed a potato. "It just wakes you right up."

"I do not think so. I don't want to become dependent on it." Russia declined.

"Yeah, I understand. Arthur is always getting on my case about that." America said, rolling his eyes.

"Who is Arthur?" Russia asked with a frown.

"Whoops, sorry." America said. "I'm talking about England."

"Do you often call the other nations by their names?" Russia asked as he finished his bread.

"Not really." America said with a shrug. "Only a few of them."

"Who would those nations be?" Russia asked. "I know you call your brother and England, but do you call anyone else by their names?"

"Uh, let me think." America said, with a crinkled brow as he thought. "I think the others are Japan and France. So, like I said, not many. So, do you call anyone by their names?" America asked curiously.

"Da, I do with my sisters." Russia said.

"Oh, cool." America said. "So, are you liking the stew?"

"I am." Russia said. "It is very good. Who taught it to you?"

"France." America said with a chuckle. "He just barged into my house one day about a hundred years ago and demanded that he give me cooking lessons. He said something about how England had ruined my taste buds and he was going to save me or something like that."

Russia had a mental image of America screaming as France burst down the door yelling in French and waving a frying pan and he snorted with laughter.

"What's so funny?" America asked.

"It is nothing." Russia said as he finished the stew. "Do you still have cooking lessons with him?"

"Once a month." America said with a small smile. "I'm grateful for them. I think I would have been cooking like England if he didn't step in. He's teaching me how to make a coconut cake next week. If you want, you can ask France if he could teach you as well. I think he'd be thrilled to have another student."

Russia was taken aback by the offer, but then he shook his head. "No, thank you. I do not wish to intrude."

"Then you're going to be our taste tester." America said as he finished off his own plate. "If you're done I can take your plate."

"Thank you." Russia said.

"Hey, I've got some paperwork I need to get done by tonight, so I'm going to be in my office for probably for the rest of the night." America said apologetically. "If you want you can watch a movie or something. If you want to go on a walk just tell me first ok?"

"Of course." Russia said.

"Cool." And without another word America walked to his room and locked himself in. With a sigh, he walked over to his bed and flopped onto it. Truthfully, he didn't have that much paperwork left. He had just wanted an excuse to get away from Russia.

Turning over onto his back, he stared up at the celling with a concerned frown. He couldn't get what had happened with the taxi driver out of his head. He hated to admit it, but he was a damn hypocrite. God, he just wanted to punch himself in the face. How could he not have seen it before? Here he was talking about he hated people who looked down on people who were different from them, and he was doing the same exact thing. That taxi driver sounded exactly like him when he argued with Russia, minus the part about immigrants. He's face darkened when he remembered that part. That had been the part that had gotten him angry. Whether or not someone was an immigrant didn't matter to him, and when people looked down on them it just made his blood boil.

Guiltily, he realized that he should do something for calling Russia a commie. After all, even though he wouldn't admit it most of the time, Russia hadn't been a communist since the early nineties. That was just him being bitter. Sighing, he sat up and leaning against his pillows he pulled his phone out from his pocket and called his brother. After a few rings, a tired voice answered.

" _Hello?"_ Canada said tiredly.

"Hey, It's me." America said nervously.

" _Al?"_ Canada asked in surprise, sounding a bit more awake. _"What's up?"_

"How to you apologize to someone for being a hypocrite?" America asked. There was silence on the other side of the phone. "Mattie, are you still there?" America asked worriedly.

" _Who are you and where is my brother?"_ Canada asked. _"He would never admit his short comings."_

"Dude! I'm being serious!" America said angerly.

" _Oh my god, you're not joking right now are you?"_ Canada said excitably. " _Does this mean you and Russia are getting along better?"_

"Not really. I just realized that maybe I've been a little unfair to him." America said with a huff.

" _And how did this realization happen?"_ Canada asked.

"It doesn't matter." America said. "Look, I'm asking you because you're the nice one. I just want to know what to do, okay? I don't really know how to apologize to people, so I need some advice."

" _You could always tell Russia to his face that you realized that you've been acting like a douchebag for years and you're sorry."_ Canada said.

America burst out laughing. "Very funny, what's the real advice?"

" _That is the advice. Stop being stubborn."_ Canada huffed.

America didn't say anything for a moment, then with a groan he flopped face down on his bed. "Isn't there anything else I can do that won't be so awkward?" America pleaded.

" _Al, there is no easy way to say you're sorry."_ Canada said with a sigh. _"If you're not ready to say sorry, at least stop doing whatever it is you feel sorry about. He might notice that you're at least trying to be better."_

"I guess that could work." America muttered. Suddenly, he heard someone calling for his brother on Canada's side of the line. "Who's that?" America asked.

" _I'm still at England's place."_ Canada said. _"France and England have been fighting all day, so I've been playing peace maker."_

"You're fighting a losing battle on that front." America said. "Why even bother?"

" _Honestly? I have no idea."_ Canada said grumpily. _"At this point I'm ready to let them kill each other if it means I can get more than an hour's sleep."_

"Oh, sorry did I wake you up?" America asked worriedly.

" _I was just dozing on the couch."_ Canada explained. _"I've got to go, I just heard something break. Good luck with Russia. And good job for wanting to apologize. I'll make a Canadian out of you yet."_ Canada joked.

"In your dreams." America snorted. "Talk to you later." After he hung up, he sighed. He had to make a game plan if he was going to apologize to Russia. He still didn't like him, but he had to at least do something about what happened today. Walking over to his desk, he pulled out a blank piece of paper and started to brain storm. It was going to be a long night.

 _ **A/N:**_ **America has taken the first step to getting along with Russia. Good for him. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. If you have any suggestions on where they should go in New York let me know. And a small fun fact, Hero is based off the five cats I live with! I love all my little baby's!**


	3. Pancakes and Apologizes (Day 3)

As the hours passed, America found himself growing more and more frustrated as he stared down at the blank piece of paper in front of him. For the life of him, he couldn't think of a way to apologize to Russia without it sounding forced. He could just go up to Russia and apologize, but that would be super weird and awkward, and Russia would probably think he was up to something. On the other hand, he could try just being nice to him, but again, that would be right out of the blue and Russia would think he was up to no good. He could explain to Russia what made him want to apologize, but Russia would never believe him because who the fuck would? People just don't change their opinions about somebody in a day! This wasn't a Disney movie! This was reality, and nothing was ever that fucking easy. Growling with frustration, America ran his hands through his hair. Damn it, why was apologizing so fucking hard?

Letting out a frustrated sigh, he leaned back into his desk chair and he was blinded by a beam of light hitting his eyeballs. Squinting his eyes, he looked around to see where the beam of light was coming from and was shocked to see that it was coming from the window and that the sun was well above the horizon. Realizing he had stayed up all night without even realizing it, he looked over at the alarm clock next to his bed and saw it was just after eight in the morning. Cursing, he crumpled up the blank sheet of paper and threw it into the waste bin and stood up from the desk chair, stretching his stiff limbs and letting out a yawn. He'd focus on apologizing to Russia later. First, he needed a big old cup of coffee.

Perking up slightly at the thought, he made his way over to the door and when he opened it he was struck by the smell of food. Making his way to the kitchen he saw Russia by the oven making an omelet, with a plate of toast and orange juice on the table. Hearing America's footsteps, Russia looked over his shoulder and smiled at America.

"Ah, so you are up?" He asked.

"Unfortunately." America muttered as he shuffled towards the coffee maker.

Russia frowned as he took in America's appearance. "Did you sleep in the clothes you were wearing yesterday?"

"No." America said truthfully as he opened one of the cupboards and pulled out the coffee container. "I never went to sleep last night."

"You had that much paper work to do?" Russia asked in mild surprise, tipping the omelet onto a nearby plate.

"Something like that." America said with a shrug. Grabbing a nearby coffee cup he added, "I kind of got caught up on a project of mine last night and lost track of time."

"I am intrigued. What could keep an attention span as short as yours occupied for hours on end?" Russia said curiously as he turned off the stove and made his way over to the table.

"Nothing that would interest you." America said casually as the coffee machine started to warm up. Even though America wasn't facing Russia, he could feel the taller nation's gaze on him.

"No, I would be more than happy to know." Russia said with a sly smile. "The only other time I have seen you so obsessed with something was during the cold war and your obsession of crushing me. It is nice to hear that you have moved on to other projects."

' _Oh, if only you knew.'_ America thought bitterly. "Really, it's nothing." America said as he started to drum his finger on the counter. He really didn't want to talk to Russia right now. He just wanted his coffee.

"Is it a secret project?" Russia asked as he took a bite of his toast.

"I don't know." America grumbled. Damn it, why wasn't the coffee coming out?

"Is it a government project?"

"No."

"Can you tell me what it is?"

"No."

"So, it is a secret project?"

"No."

"Then why can't you tell me?"

"Because I don't want to!" America snapped, throwing a glare at Russia, who held up his hands in a peaceful gesture. Realizing that he was being rude, America shoulders slumped and with a sigh he turned back to the coffee machine. "Maybe I'll tell you later, ok? Just please, let me have this cup of coffee before I talk to you." America said, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

A flicker of surprise crossed Russia's face at America's behavior, but it was quickly schooled. Finally, America got his cup of coffee and made his way to the sofa, where he sat down and turned on the news, blankly staring at the screen as he sipped his coffee. Russia observed the younger nation for a minute, then growing bored, he turned his attention back to his meal. About a half an hour later, he glanced over in America's direction and saw that America had abandoned his coffee all together and was now laying on the couch with his head on the arm rest watching the news. Russia sighed, and cleaning up his dishes he walked back to his room to get ready for the day.

When he came out of his room about an hour later, he was surprised to see America was still on the couch. Walking over to him, he was surprised to find that the younger nation had fallen asleep. America was curled up in an almost defensive position, but his face looked a lot more relaxed then Russia had seen in the last few days. Russia awkwardly stood there for a second, then he glanced around the room not sure what to do. Should he wake America up? After all, it would be quite strange if he sat there and watched him sleep. And he was his host. Then again, it seemed like he needed it.

Sighing, Russia walked back into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Hero wandered in and ignoring Russia he walked straight towards his food. Great, even the cat was ignoring him. Frowning, Russia looked around the room. He wasn't sure if America had made plans to go out anywhere, but it seemed like until America woke up nothing was going to happen. Even if he did want to step out, he would have to tell America first. Russia sighed again, and just as he was considering hiding in his room for the rest of the morning, a thought came to him. America had said to tell him when he wanted to go out, but he never said to tell him directly. Smirking, Russia got up and walked over to the fridge. He took a marker off the small dry erase board that was on the fridge door and scribbled down a quick message. After he was done, he put the marker down and made his way to the door. After grabbing his scarf, he opened the door and made his way out. He was going to go amuse himself.

 **Russia's P.O.V.**

Russia wandered around the city for a few hours, just observing the people around him. No matter how many times he came to this city, he was always taken aback by how diverse the city was. There seemed to be people of every color and ethnicity, and the amount of languages spoken around him as he passed through different parts of the city were overwhelming. He vaguely remembered hearing once that there were 800 different languages spoken in the city. At one point, he heard someone speaking Russian, but he couldn't pick the person out of the crowd.

Around noon Russia found himself in a small shopping center. Stopping briefly to buy a pretzel from a vender, he looked through the shop windows. Most of the fashions weren't to his taste, but they were still interesting to look at. At one point he spotted a sunflower pin and considered buying it, but one look at the price was enough to change his mind.

As he was looking at a shop that sold baked goods, he felt a tap on the back of his shoulder. Looking around, he was surprised to see America looking up at him.

"Ah, America." Russia said with a small smile. "Did you get my note?"

"What?" America asked with a frown, his face scrunching up in confusion. "Uh, I don't think I did. But that's most likely because I'm not America."

Confused, Russia took a closer look at America. He noticed that his hair was longer, his eyes were not blue, but Violet, and his face had a softer look to it. And unlike America, this person hunched his shoulders a bit and his voice was much softer. Realizing his mistake, Russia chuckled.

"I apologize. You must be Canada." Russia said with an apologetic smile.

"Don't worry about it." Canada said with a small smile. "It happens all the time."

"What are you doing here in New York?" Russia asked with a frown. "The meeting is not for another four days."

"I always come a few days early." Canada said with a shrug. "Me and Al spend a few days together before each meeting, so we can catch up with each other." Glancing around the plaza, he frowned. "Speaking of which, where is my brother? Isn't he supposed to be with you?"

"He is still at his apartment." Russia explained. "He stayed up all night working on a project and then he fell asleep on the couch. I decided to go out by myself instead of waiting for him to wake up."

To Russia's confusion, Canada looked amused by the explanation. "Oh, I see. That sounds like something he'd do. I swear, when his head isn't in the clouds it's buried in a project. You should have seen him during the space race. His office was swamped with rocket designs and math equations and he always had his nose in some scientific paper."

Russia frowned at the thought of America sitting quietly in front of a chalkboard writing out math equations with science papers scattered around him. It didn't seem right to him. "That does not sound like the America I know." Russia said.

Canada laughed softly. "There are a lot of sides to my brother you don't know." Looking at Russia with a soft smile, he nodded his head to a nearby coffee shop. "Why don't we talk about it over coffee? It's a little chilly out here."

"Uh, Da." Russia said, taken aback at the request. They headed over to café, which was rather bland looking, and after ordering their drinks sat down in a booth in the corner of the room.

"So," Canada said calmly as he pulled a maple syrup bottle out of his pocket and poured a generous amount of the sugary syrup into his coffee, "you and my brother are roommates now."

"Da." Russia said, feeling a bit ill as he watched Canada sip his coffee. How could someone drink something so sugary?

"And it seems you two are having trouble getting to know each other." Canada said simply, giving Russia a knowing look.

"Da. Where are you going with this?" Russia asked with a frown.

"Well, I don't mean to intrude, but it seems like you two need some help." Canada said with a sigh. "And honestly, it's kind of sad to watch you two interact. It's like watching a train wreck. So, I thought I might give you some advice, so you can get along with my brother better."

Russia raised an eyebrow at this. "And you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart?"

"Of course not." Canada said with a chuckle. "I'm doing this so I don't have to listen to my brother whine and complain all month about you." Then with a thoughtful look he added, "Not that he isn't trying. In fact, he was asking me for advice last night. I was rather surprised to be honest. It's not often he swallows his pride to ask someone a favor." Looking back at Russia he frowned. "Did something happen yesterday to him?"

"Nothing of any importance." Russia said with a slight shrug. "We went ice skating yesterday. I was able to teach him some of the basics-"

Canada chocked on his drink and started to cough violently. After he had cleared his airways a bit, he looked at Russia in shock. "You actually taught him how to ice skate?"

"Da, I did." Russia said with a shrug. "It took a little while, but he was able to skate around the ice a bit. He was very excited about it."

Canada's expression went from shocked, to angry, to upset in a matter of seconds. "Oh." Canada said emotionlessly. "I didn't think it was possible." Giving Russia an unreadable look, he asked, "Just where did you guys go to skate?"

"We went to central park." Russia said, confused by Canada's behavior. Had he said something wrong?

"Did you take him out to the lakes or to a rink?" Canada asked, his hand clutching the edge of the table a little harder than necessary.

"To a rink." Russia said, starting to get uncomfortable. Thankfully, Canada relaxed a bit at his response. "Oh, good. I don't like it when he's on frozen lakes." Canada said with a sigh of relief.

"Ah, he did mention that." Russia said.

"He told you about him falling into the ice?" Canada asked in surprise.

"He said it was only fair since I taught him how to ice skate." Russia explained.

Canada hummed thoughtfully as he took another sip of his drink. Making a face, he picked the Maple syrup bottle back out and added more. Russia grimaced as he watched. He could feel his teeth hurting just watching the younger nation. "That makes sense. Anyways, what else happened?" Canada asked as he put the bottle away and took another sip of his drink, apparently happy with it.

"We took a taxi to a coffee shop in Hell's kitchen." Russia said, a frown on his face. "The taxi driver nearly killed us, and when I confronted the man he was very rude to me. America threatened to beat the man up, and then we got our coffee. Then he threw a packet of sugar at me to lighten the mood."

"Wow, that sounds really random." Canada said with a chuckle.

"That sums up America perfectly." Russia said with a sigh. "I can never figure him out. One minute he is giving me the cold shoulder, the next he is somewhat nice. He has no rhyme or reason to him."

"Not really." Canada said with a soft smile. "Al may seem like a random guy, but he actually has a reason for everything he does. Even his craziest plans have some sort of logic to them. I'm sure you know this already, but Al isn't the greatest at explaining himself. Something can make total sense to him but can confuse the hell out of everyone else." Canada studied Russia for a moment before continuing. "Describe America in three words."

"Egotistical, selfish, and stupid." Russia said without hesitating.

"Ding dong, you are wrong." Canada said with a eyeroll. "Didn't I tell you that he used to work on rockets? He actually took time to understand all of that stuff, not just memorize the equations. He's also a really good strategist, but only when he feels like it. Egotistical? Sure, sometimes but he's his own worst critic. He's worked hard to try and overcome himself all the time. Selfish?" Canada laughed. "You should ask him what he does in his spare time. It might surprise you."

Russia just stared at Canada in confusion. Seeing he wasn't making much of an impact, Canada sighed and leaned back in his seat. "I guess what I'm saying is don't judge him too harshly. Sure, he can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but his heart is in the right place. Just give him a chance, okay? He may just surprise you."

"I suppose." Russia said with a slight nod.

"I'm not asking you two to become best friends over night, I'm just asking for you to put aside what you think you know about him and maybe approach this situation like you've never met before. Wipe the past away and judge him in the now." Canada said with a smile.

Russia considered what Canada had said, then with a sigh he nodded. "Very well, I shall attempt to do what you have asked. I cannot promise you anything, but I will try."

"That's all I ask." Canada said with a relived look. "So, let me give you a few suggestions on how to get on America's good side. First, talk to him about movies. He loves them. He likes action movies and Superhero movies the best. He also likes horror movies, but he won't watch them alone."

"Oh?" Russia asked in interest.

"Start with action or superhero movies first. Al only watches horror movies with people he trusts." Canada said with a slight smirk.

"I take you are one of those people?" Russia asked.

"Of course." Canada said. "I'm his brother. We do everything together. Another thing you can do to get on his good side is to listen to him."

"About what?"

"Oh, anything." Canada said with a shrug. "America likes to bounce ideas off of people, but the thing is no one is willing to put up with his over excited behavior too long. If you sit down and listen to him he might like you more, and as an added bonus he'll seek you out when he wants to talk."

"I see." Russia said, taking a sip from his drink.

"The third thing America likes is space." Canada said.

"So, I should give him his personal space?" Russia asked.

"What?" Canada asked. "No, well I mean yeah he doesn't like it when people stand too close to him, but I was talking about outer space. He loves it more than cowboys, and he really loves cowboys."

Russia just nodded, but the corner of his mouth twitched upwards. He liked space as well, and it was one of the few things he and America had in common. This was the perfect way to open up a conversation. "Cowboys?" Russia asked in amusement.

Canada rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cowboys. He loves all that western stuff. Still owns a ranch down in Texas if I remember correctly. Did you know he was a sheriff at one time?"

"That does not surprise me." Russia said.

"He was pretty good at it too, until he got hit by a train." Canada said with a chuckle. "He wasn't hurt, but the train had an America shaped dent in it. There was also the fact that no matter how many times he was shot he never seemed to die, but the train thing was the straw that broke the camel's back. People started asking too many questions, so he had to leave town. He complained about it for years. He got a cool nickname out of it though. Unkillable Fred."

"That sounds about right. No matter how hard I hit him he always gets back up." Russia said with a chuckle. "Maybe they should have named him the cockroach."

"Yeah." Canada said, pulling out his phone and looking at the time. "Why don't we go back to Al's apartment? He should be up by now."

"Sounds good." Russia said.

 **America's P.O.V One hour earlier**

America woke up to the low buzz of the T.V. Blearily blinking his eyes, he glanced around and to his confusion he was in the living room. Rubbing his eyes, he forced his now stiff body into a sitting position and glanced at his watch. It was around noon. With a frown, he remembered that he had been talking to Russia before. He had meant to apologize to the Com-, but America thoughts came to a halt. No, he wasn't going to call Russia that anymore, not even in his head. He was going to be better. If he apologized while still calling Russia that in his head his apology would mean nothing. No, he had meant to apologize to RUSSIA but had been snarky to him. Groaning, America flopped back onto the sofa and put a pillow over his face. Maybe if he smothered himself he wouldn't have to awkwardly apologize to Russia.

Just as he started dozing off again Hero yowled angerly from the kitchen.

"Go away Hero." America grumbled. As he closed his eyes again he felt something jump up onto his pillow and actually start smothering him. America let out a muffled cry and knocked the thing off of the pillow and onto his chest. Grabbing the pillow off his face he shot an angry look at Hero, who glared right back at him.

"Hero, why are you trying to kill me?" America asked irritably. "I thought you loved me!"

Hero just meowed loudly again and batted at America's face.

America groaned again and pushing Hero off of him he got off the couch and shuffled into the kitchen as Hero ran over to his food bowl. Meowing again, he batted at the bowl, looking up expectantly at America. Looking down at the bowl, and to his annoyance he saw the bowl was mostly full, with only a small hole in the food that barley showed the bottom of the bowl.

"This is what you're so upset about?" America grumbled as he picked up the bowl and shook it until it appeared full again. Putting it back on the ground, Hero sniffed it and then walked away. "You brat." America huffed as he turned towards the fridge. He needed something to drink. To his surprise, he saw that Russia had left a note on the Dry erase board. Taking a closer look, he read,

" _ **To America,**_

 _ **I am stepping out of the apartment for a few hours. I did not want to wake you up, so I am writing you a note. I will be back.**_

 _ **Russia."**_

America sighed and shook his head. The idiot didn't even have a key. How did he think he was getting back into the apartment? Opening the fridge, he pulled out the orange juice container and was just pouring out a glass when his phone went off in his pocket. Without looking at the caller ID he picked up the call and put it on speaker. "America speaking."

" _Hello, this is Lithuania."_ A voice cheerfully said back to him. America perked up at the other nation's voice.

"Toris! Hey, what's up dude?!" America asked as he took sat down at the bar, putting the phone in front of him.

" _Nothing of interest. I was just calling to check up on you. You know, because of Russia rooming with you."_ Toris said awkwardly.

"Jeez, is there anybody who doesn't know about this?" America asked with a grimace.

" _Unfortunately, no."_ Toris said with a sigh. _"France has been telling everyone about it."_

"How did he find out? I mean, it's not like it's a secret or anything but I didn't expect the news to travel so fast."

" _Canada told him."_ Toris said.

"Ah, well that explains it." America said with a shake of his head. "How are the other nations taking the news?"

" _Well, China is saying that nothing good can come from this, he kept saying something about bad omens. And France keeps saying stuff about you two "sharing a room" if you get what I'm saying. But other than that, everyone is just waiting for the fall out between you two. A few nations have started placing bets on how long you two can be together without trying to kill each other."_

"I admire their faith in me." America said, rolling his eyes.

" _So, how are you two getting along? Are you fighting at all?"_ Toris asked worriedly.

"It's not been too bad." America said, leaning back in his chair. "So far we haven't fought or anything, it's mostly been uncomfortable."

" _Oh, well that's not so bad."_ Toris said in a slightly surprised tone.

"I guess." America muttered, taking a sip from his drink.

" _Is something wrong?"_ Toris asked.

"No." America denied. There was a beat of silence, then America groaned. "Yes. Maybe. I don't know." America said, putting his drink back down and running his hand across his face. "It's probably nothing."

" _Do you want to talk about it?"_ Toris asked kindly.

"No." America said. "But can I ask you something?"

" _Of course."_

"What do you know about Russia? I mean, like, what is he like when he's not around me?" America asked. Toris didn't respond for a few minutes, and America wondered if he had hung up on him. Frowning, he tapped the phone. "Toris, buddy, are you there?"

" _Yeah, I'm here. I was just thinking."_ Toris said hesitantly. _"He wasn't the kindest person, and he was always intimidating he was around me. He always kept to himself when he wasn't talking to me or the others when I lived in his house. From what I remember, he didn't like people talking about you-"_

"What a shock." America said sarcastically.

" _-but most of the time he was pretty quiet. He likes to read, and I know for a fact he likes to knit."_

America bust out laughing. "You're fucking with me. Russia likes to knit?"

" _Apparently he finds it relaxing. He likes making blankets and sweaters._ _He also like's going to the theater, especially to watch ballet. And he enjoys star gazing."_ Toris said. _"And, uh, don't tell him I told you any of this."_

"I would never sell you out like that." America assured him.

" _Thanks. Let's see, what else."_ Toris hummed in thought. _"He is a rather strange guy. While most of the time he's rather intimidating, when I was living with him he sometimes was rather calm and nice. I once had a conversation with him where he told me it's his dream to live in a warm place surrounded by sunflowers. He's an early riser, but don't ask me what he does in the morning I have no idea. And he loves vodka, although that isn't unknown."_

"So in other words he's a mixed bag." America groaned, putting his head down on the table. "He's so weird, I just don't understand him."

" _Well, you are opposites, it's not surprising."_ Toris pointed out.

"I guess." America said. "I just don't know how to talk to him. Most of the time we just talk about this and that and then we sit in awkward silence. It's weird having him in my home. It's like having a cat living in a mouse hole, it just isn't right!" America gripped. "I just want to feel comfortable in my own house again without hiding in my room like some sulky teenager."

" _But you are a teenager."_ Toris pointed out.

"That's not the point!" America whined. "I don't know what to do! I'm stuck in awkward limbo and I hate it! Help me out man!"

" _I'm afraid I don't know what to say."_ Toris said apologetically. _"The only piece of advice I can give you is try and get him to open up a bit."_

"Great. That will be like prying open an active bomb." America said with a humorless laugh.

Toris chuckled. _"I honestly don't envy you. I have to get going, I have some work I need to finish up before the meeting. Good luck, and I'll see you at the meeting."_

"Later." America said and hung up the phone.

Well, had been less than helpful America thought as leaned back into his chair. Even with Toris's information America wasn't any closer to figuring out how to be more friendly to Russia. Sure, he could just go up to Russia with all of this information and try and talk to him, but then Russia would know he had been getting info on him and that would just make him look weird and kind of creepy. He needed to prompt Russia to talk to him about something they both liked.

"Ahhh." America groaned, ruffling his hair with his hands and standing up. Screw it, he was done thinking for a while. His brain hurt from being so serious for so long. He needed to relax. Getting up from his chair, he walked over to the T.V. and rummaged around the video games that were thrown messily in a small basket under the DVD player. He needed something mind numbing, something that didn't require a lot of thought. After a minute, he let out a whoop of joy as he pulled out his old game boy. Turning it on, the speakers started to Tetris theme as the game screen popped up. Deciding the game was better than nothing, America curled up on the couch and starting playing it. The game it's self wasn't too hard, and after a few minutes America was totally focused on the game in his hands. He was so wrapped up in fact, he didn't notice someone was knocking on his door. After a minute there was a sound of keys and the door unlocked and Canada and Russia walked in.

"Al, answer your door when someone knocks." Canada said as he walked into the living room and tapping on his brother's head.

America jumped slightly and looking up his face broke into a wide smile. "Mattie! I wasn't expecting you to be here so early!"

"I decided to surprise you." Canada said with a chuckle, holding up a bag. "I got the ingredients to make pancakes."

America threw his hands up and let out a whoop of joy. "Hell yeah! It's pancake time!"

"No, you stay there." Canada said with an unimpressed look. "You nearly destroyed the kitchen last time I came over."

"I forget to turn off the stove ONCE!" America yelled as Canada walked into the kitchen.

"Once is enough." Canada said over his shoulder as he rummaged around America's cupboards. "We don't need your landlord yelling at us again."

"What happened last time?" Russia asked as finished hanging up his coat and made his way to the couch.

"Al left the stove on while we were eating, and he set off the buildings alarms at two o'clock in the morning. Thankfully the fire wasn't too bad, but the neighbors weren't too happy with us."

"Yeah, the lady who lives across from me still gives me glares." America snorted as he went back to playing his Game Boy. "Not like she liked me before."

"Why did she not like you?" Russia asked as he sat down next to America.

"Hero got out of the apartment and somehow got into hers, and apparently she's allergic to cats. She thought I did it as a prank and tried to get Hero thrown out of the apartment building. Crazy old bat." America said with a shake of his head. "But she's like that with everyone on this floor, so I don't think too much of it."

"She sounds interesting."

"Yeah, that's one way to put it." America said with a laugh. As he played his game, Russia looked over his shoulder to watch, and he got a gleam in his eyes.

"You like Tetris?" Russia asked with a smirk.

"Not everything that comes out of your place is trash." America said admitted with a slight shrug.

"I believe that is the kindest thing you have ever said to me." Russia said.

"Don't get used to it." America said, the corner of his mouth twitching up a bit.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, with America playing his game and Russia watching him. Canada was cooking in the kitchen, humming a Christmas song.

"You need to put that block on the right." Russia said.

"No, I don't." America said.

"But if you put it on the right you'll have room for the next few blocks."

"Dude, I know how to play Tetris." America said, glaring at Russia.

"Clearly you don't." Russia said in amusement as America failed the level.

"Dude, I was just about to beat my high score!" America said in annoyance. Pouting, he pointed a finger at Russia. "You distracted me."

"I was only trying to help." Russia said with a chuckle. "It is your fault you did not listen."

"Fine, if you think you can do better then you try." America said, offering Russia the Game boy.

"My people invented this game." Russia said with a smirk as he took the gaming device. "I could beat your high score without trying."

"Oh, those are fighting words." America said with a snort. "Alright then, let's make this interesting. If you beat my high score I'll tell you what I was working on last night. If you lose, you have to say something nice about me."

"I accept your challenge." Russia said, and with that he started up the game.

For the first few levels, America wasn't very worried about Russia beating his score. He had spent years building up that high score, and he doubted Russia had spent as much time as him playing video games. But as Russia's score kept climbing, he started to get a little nervous. He wasn't ready to tell Russia what he was actually doing last night and had only set up the bet because he was being cocky. The blocks started falling faster, and Russia didn't even look bothered. In fact, he looked a bit bored.

"Dude." America muttered as Russia started to near his high score.

"I told you, this game is very easy." Russia said with a smug glance an America.

"I thought you were just bragging!"

"Russians do not brag." Russia said. "We simply state facts."

"Bullshit. You told me you could eat five pizzas' in one sitting that one time and you only ate three."

"Your American pizzas are not the same as Russian pizza's!" Russia said defensively. "It was not a fair comparison."

"Pizza is pizza. You just can't admit that you lied."

"I did not lie." Russia said, frowning as he tried to concentrate on the game. "You can ask China and he will tell you that I did."

"Why would China know?" America asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"He was the one who ordered the pizza's." Russia explained. "I had wandered into his house while drunk one day and demanded food from him."

America started laughing. "That must have pissed him off."

"Da, it did." Russia said with a slight smile. "If I remember correctly, he had been sleeping and I had woken him up when I had knocked over cooking pans in his kitchen while looking for something to eat."

"But why were you looking for food?"

"I'm not sure." Russia said with a shrug. "I think I ran out of food at my house."

"Wait a second." America said with a thoughtful frown. "You said you were at China's house? But that mean you ate five CHINESE PIZZA'S NOT RUSSIAN PIZZA'S! Yet another LIE!" America yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Russia.

Russia rolled his eye. "It does not matter."

"But you just said that there is a difference in pizza's! So which one is it? Are all pizza's the same or are they all different? Either way you're a liar!" America said smugly.

Russia opened his mouth to argue, then with a frown he closed it. Then he glared at America. "I'm not going to answer you."

"But you already did." America said with a shit eating grin.

Just before Russia could strangle America, the Gameboy turned off.

"Oh dang, the battery must have run out." America said with a wider smile. "Looks like you didn't beat my high score after all. Now ya gotta say something nice about little old me."

Russia considered Killing the loud American and throwing his body into the Hudson river, but instead he sighed. "I need a minute to think about this." Russia said.

"Ouch." America said with a wince. "That actually hurt my feelings dude."

Russia thought for a minute, then finally he said, "You have a nice laugh."

America looked at Russia in surprise. "Huh?"

"You have a nice laugh." Russia repeated.

The corner of America's mouth twitched up, but as he was about to say something Canada called over to them.

"Hey, the pancakes are done! Come and get them hot!" Canada said, holding up a giant stack of pancakes.

"Yes, I live for your pancakes!" America said in excitement as he jumped over the back of the couch and hopped onto one of the bar stools by the bar, spinning a few times for the fun of it.

"Will you be joining us?" Canada asked Russia, as he tipped a few pancakes onto America's plate.

"Ah, no thank you." Russia declined. "I already had something to eat earlier."

"Dude." America said, glaring at Russia and jabbing his fork in his direction. "Sit your ass over here before I slap you."

"America, don't be rude." Canada scolded, whapping his brother over the head with his spatula.

"Ow, hey!" America said, rubbing his head. "Come on, he's never tried one of your pancakes before! I was doing him a favor!"

Canada blinked in surprise, then he turned to face Russia with a thoughtful frown. "What did you have to eat earlier?"

"I had an omelet earlier, and a soft pretzel for lunch." Russia said.

Canada shook his head and grabbed another plate and started stacking pancakes onto it. "That's not much to eat. Come here and have a real meal. Plus, it would be nice if someone new tasted my pancakes. My usual taste tester is a bit biased." Canada said with a smile.

"Not true!" America mumbled through a mouth full of pancakes.

"Uh huh." Canada said, waving Russia over. "Cover your mouth."

Realizing that he didn't have much of a choice, Russia sighed and walked over to the bar, where he sat down next to America, who was now happily covering his pancakes in butter.

"How much syrup do you want on them?" Canada asked, holding up the maple syrup bottle with a soft smile.

"Oh, no th-." Russia started to say, but suddenly he felt America kick him under the table. Annoyed, Russia looked over at America, who was shaking his head slightly. Then America nodded towards the syrup and to him urgently. Glancing at Canada, he noticed Canada had raised an eyebrow at him.

"Uh, I mean just a little please." Russia said, and Canada smiled. "Oh, no worries." As he started to douse the pancakes in syrup, making Russia cringe a bit. "Everyone knows that you can't eat pancakes without a bit of syrup."

"Thank you." Russia said, and hesitantly looking down at the now sickly sweet meal, he took a small forkful and sampled it. To his surprise, he found that it tasted quite good even if it was a bit sweet. "This is very good."

Canada beamed, and America just rolled his eyes, but he smiled. "Well of course they're good. The pancake nation made them."

"That's a new nickname." Canada said with a chuckle as he sat down on the other side of the bar.

"I thought you'd like it." America said with a laugh.

"So," Canada said, taking a bite of his food, "how's your project going Al? Making any progress?"

America suddenly chocked on his food, and coughing violently, he glared at his brother. "Dude! Not here!"

Russia watched in surprise as a frown appeared on Canada's face. "Why not? Don't you have something to say? You could solve your dilemma with three words."

"No, I don't." America snapped a little too quickly, squirming in his seat. "Plus, it's none of your business. I can handle this."

"Clearly." Canada said sarcastically. "I heard from Russia you were up all night working on it. Al, your just over thinking things."

"Yeah, so what?" America asked, desperately trying to tell his brother to shut the hell up with his eyes. "Like I said, this has nothing to do with you! Don't butt in!"

"Hey, you were the one to come to me for advice." Canada pointed out. Shaking his head, he smiled at Russia. "You should ask America about his "project." After all, it does concern-"

Realizing what Canada was doing, America panicked and stood up so fast that he knocked his chair back and clamped his hand over his brother's face. "Will you shut up?!" America shouted almost hysterically.

Russia just sat there in confused silence as the two brothers glared at each other, having a silent argument. After a tense few minutes, America let out a shriek and his hand jerked away from his brother's face like it had been burned.

"Dude, did you just lick my hand?" America asked angerly. "What are you, four?"

"Look, just hurry up with it. Tell him or I will." Canada said with a sigh.

"Tell who what?" Russia asked in confusion. America froze, and Canada smirked. "And that's my queue to leave. Good luck Al. Tell me how it goes." And with that Canada quickly grabbed his bag and ran to the door.

"YOU ASSHOLE! YOU SET ME UP! THIS IS WHY YOU CAME OVER EARLY!" America shouted as he ran after his brother.

"Well, you weren't getting anywhere." Canada said with a scoff. "Honestly, it's not that hard Al. Just apologize. That's what a Canadian would do." And with a final wave, Canada fled.

"I'M NOT A FUCKING CANADIAN!" America shouted angerly.

"I am so confused." Russia muttered. "Were you talking about me?"

"Yes, no, I mean…god damn it." America growled, running an irritated hand through his hair.

"What exactly is this project of yours?" Russia asked, narrowing his eyes at America.

"Look, it's nothing important. Well, maybe it is, but… look it's hard to explain." America said, trying desperately not to look Russia in the eyes.

"What did he mean by apologize?" Russia asked, getting suspicious. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" America defended. "Well, I guess I did do something, but it's not like I did anything illegal."

Russia just gave America an unimpressed look. "That does not comfort me in the slightest."

America made a frustrated noise, then with a sigh he leaned against the bar, refusing to look Russia. "Look, after the taxi incident I did some thinking."

"I'm impressed." Russia said, and America shot him a glare.

"You're not making this any easier you know." America said. "I did some thinking, and I've concluded that I haven't been a very good person to you for the last couple decades. I claim that I can't stand it when people treat people who are different badly, but that's exactly what I've been doing to you for all these years."

Russia eyes were growing wider with each word. America looked away from Russia again, his face turning a faint pink. "And I know that I've been calling you commie for a long time, but to be honest I've only been doing that because I've been a bit bitter towards you. I mean, you haven't been a communist since the 90's. Look, I just wanted to say… I just wanted to say…" America stumbled over the words, struggled to finish the sentence.

Russia just stared at America in disbelief, not daring to believe what was happening.

"I'm sorry." America finally said. "I've been a big fat hypocrite." America's face was fully red now, and he refused to look in Russia's direction. "I just wanted to say that. This doesn't mean I like you anymore than I do now, I just thought maybe I had been a little rude, that's it." And with that, America quickly walked out of the kitchen and to his room, slamming the door behind him. Russia was still staring at the spot where America had just been.

'What the hell just happened.' Russia thought in wonder. Was he dreaming? He pinched the back of his hand, and when nothing happened he sat there in shock. Had America, the proud, never to admit he was wrong American, just apologize to him? Was he messing with him? No, America could be rude, but he would never do something as cruel as to apologize when he didn't mean it. But America apologizing to him?

Russia felt something stir in his chest, and a small giggle escaped him. He tried to suppress it, but he just couldn't stop. It was just so weird, America apologizing. He desperately tried to smother his laughter, not wanting to let America hear him. But, of all the people in the world, _America_ being nice to him. He couldn't help but burst out into laughter, and in a desperate attempt to shut himself up, he stuffed a large amount of pancake into his face. It didn't work. It was another five minutes before he stopped laughing.

"No one is going to believe me." Russia giggled, as he wiped the tears from his eyes. Then he stopped laughing. What the hell was he doing? America had taken the first step in trying to be nice to him, and he was laughing like an idiot. At America, who had probably had to swallow his pride to tell him sorry. And with how big that idiot's ego was, that must have been a big pill to swallow. And he was acting like a jackass. Suddenly feeling ashamed of himself, Russia glanced at America's room. Then seeing America's abandoned pancakes, he sighed.

Picking up the plate, he walked over to America's door and knocked on the door.

"America, your pancakes are getting cold." Russia said awkwardly. He didn't get an answer. "America?" Russia called again. Again, America didn't answer. Sighing, Russia crouched down and put the plate on the floor. "I am putting your food by the door. I will make sure Hero doesn't eat it." He paused for a second, then clearing his throat he added, "And thank you." He heard something move behind the door, but he didn't get a response, which was what he had expected. Standing back up, he made his way to kitchen and picked up his own plate and took it to the couch where Hero was sleeping. Picking up the remote, he turned on the T.V, and if he heard America's bedroom door open and close, and noticed the plate was missing, he didn't react to it.

 _ **A/N:**_ **HELLO EVERYONE, I'M BACK! I took a break to recharge my writing skills, and to get my life together. So far, I've got my shit together. Still have stuff to do, but I think I'm doing better. So, I wonder how Russia and America are going to be around each other now that wheels are in motion. I wonder if Canada is going to be killed by America. Probably not. The pancake nation was just annoyed by his brothers lack of skills in the art of apologizing.**


	4. Call Me Ivan (Day 3)

'Well,' America thought glumly as he glared at the pancakes on his desk, 'that could have gone better.'

It had been almost three hours since America had locked himself in the room, and he had absolutely no idea how he was going to leave the room without facing Russia and dying from embarrassment. After Russia had left the plate outside his room and thanked him, he had taken the pancakes to show that he had acknowledged him, but he hadn't been up to eating them, seeing as they were full of lies and deceit. And speaking of his brother, he had sent him multiple death threats against him and his maple syrup. Bastard. What right did he have to interfere with his business?

Actually, America thought with a frown, didn't Russia and Mattie arrive that morning at the same time? What were they doing together?

'Probably poking his nose in my business.' America thought with a pout. 'I swear that he's just as bad as France sometimes.' Sighing, America took his now cold pancakes and tipped them into the waste basket, and considered his options on what to do next. He could pretend that nothing had happened, but clearly that would just be ignoring the problem. Plus, America couldn't remember the last time he had outright apologized for his behavior to anyone, let alone Russia, so Russia sure as hell wasn't going to act like nothing had happened.

Plus, Russia had already acknowledged it happened by thanking him, and oh boy did that surprise him. And to be honest, America didn't really know how to respond to that. America was used to them bickering, arguing, and threatening each other. Not having an honest and open conversation, and it freaking terrified him. It was such an alien scenario between them, and it just left him feeling uncomfortable.

He could talk to Russia about it… yeah, no. That was clearly the choice a mature adult who had their shit together would choose, and America clearly wasn't ready for that yet. That and the last time he had tried to have a heart to heart with Russia, (excluding that morning), it was under a pretty extreme situation. Like, end of the world kind of extreme situation. And while that had ended as well as anyone had hoped, America wasn't ready for a repeat of that. No sir. No, the only way that was going to happen was if he had a shit load of alcohol, which was unlikely because he was technically under aged, (which is bullshit), and he couldn't get any.

So, what to do? To be honest, he had no idea. The only thing he could think of was accepting that it happened and to carry on as usual. Like, it wasn't because they had one conversation that they were going to be friends or anything. That would work. That is, that would have worked if he hadn't holed himself in his room and just made the situation a hundred times worse!

"Damn it!" America shouted, kicking his desk. Damn his teenage sulky nature!

Suddenly his cell phone rang, and America snatched it up and answered it. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!" America shouted angrily.

"NOOO! I'M SORRY!" A terrified voice shouted. Surprised, America pulled the phone away from his ear as he heard terrified sobbing from the ear piece and looked down at the caller ID. Oh dear, it was Italy.

"WAHHH, PLEASE DON'T BE ANGRY WITH ME!" Italy cried. "I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU SOME THINGS ABOUT THE MEETING!"

"Italy, dude chill." America said with an awkward laugh. "I didn't know it was you. What did you need to ask?"

"Oh, I just needed to know what kind of food I should bring to the meeting seeing as I'm going to be preparing lunch." Italy sniffed.

"Yeah, anything is good. You can do pasta if you want, but I'm cool with anything. Can you do garlic bread. You're the best at that." America asked, relaxing slightly.

"I'd love to!" Italy said cheerfully. "By the way, I heard Russia is staying over at your place for awhile.

"Don't ask about that, I don't want to talk about it!" America snapped.

"WAH, I'M SORRY!"

"No, wait, I'm sorry." America sighed. "I'm just really stressed is all, I'm sorry I yelled."

"It's okay." Italy reassured. "I understand. Why don't you make some pasta to cheer yourself up?"

"I'm not really in an eating mood. Maybe later." America admitted.

"WHAT?!" Italy yelled, making America flinch at the volume. "YOU DON'T WANT TO EAT?!"

"Yeah, I kind of lost my appetite earlier-"

"GERMANY, AMERICA ISN'T HUNGRY! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" Italy shrieked and he hung up on him.

"That was rude." America grumbled as he threw his phone on his bed. Grabbing the dirty dishes on his desk, he walked over to the door and braced himself. The only way to deal with this situation was to treat it like a band aid. He just had to rip it off. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and peaked out. To his delight, Russia wasn't anywhere to be seen, and walking out into the living room, he saw that he wasn't in the kitchen either. Pleased, America walked over to the kitchen, and then to his annoyance he saw that there were a number of dirty dishes on the stove and sink where Canada had been cooking earlier. Which to be fair to his brother he would have never done usually, but because he was still mad at him he could help but feel a little petty as he started to clean the mess up. A few minutes into cleaning, he heard a mew at his feet. Looking down, he saw Hero looking up at him.

"And where have you been hiding?"America asked, a small smile pulling at his lips as he picked him up and cuddled him. "You're never mean to me." America cooed. "You'd never leave me."

"I would not be too sure about that." An amused voice said behind him. Jumping slightly, America turned to see Russia standing by the door.

"How come?" America asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, seeing as he has been with me for most of the day, I can say that he clearly prefers me." Russia said with a smirk.

"What? Lies." America said, holding Hero up. "I feed this fatty. He'd starve without me. He would never betray me as long as I pay for his food."

"I would not say that. He would follow anyone who offers him food. Speaking of which," Russia said, suddenly looking uncomfortable, "I have been meaning to ask you something."

"Uh." America said nervously. "What about?"

"My cat, Milashka." Russia said. "Would you mind if I were to bring him here?"

America blinked in surprise. Of all the things he had expected Russia to ask, that had not even crossed his mind. "Uh, yeah, no problem." America said, feeling slightly relieved. "When did you want to bring him over?"

"Ah, well you see that is the problem." Russia said, looking slightly ashamed. "He is in the lobby downstairs."

"Wait, what?!" America asked, his mouth falling open. "Why is he here now?!"

"I planned to bring him here from the start, and he came on a different flight than me, so he arrived a little late. I meant to tell you this morning but…" Russia drifted off, gesturing to the mess in the sink while clearing his throat. "…things got in the way."

America sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I can't just turn the poor little guy away can I? Go downstairs and grab him, I'll set up a cat pan and food for him."

"Thank you. I apologize for inconvenience. I will pick up some supplies for him later." Russia sighed as he walked over to the door. As he closed the door behind him, he let out a sigh of relief. Not that he had expected the American to leave his cat out in the cold, but he expecting the man to yell at him. He had been rude to spring it on him, and after the fiasco this morning he had expecting him to go off on him at anything he did. America didn't usually handle embarrassment well and often sulked, hide, or started yelling at people to cope. Maybe he had worked through it already. Russia was relieved. The sooner they got back to their usual relationship the better. When he got down to the lobby, he spotted the cat carrier on the desk, and the desk man, Greg paying with Milashka with a piece of string. Hearing his footsteps, Greg glanced up and raised an eyebrow at Russia.

"This your cat?" Greg asked.

"Da, he is mine." Russia said with a nod.

"He's cute." Greg said with careful look at Russia. "I don't mean to intrude, but what is your relationship to Alfred?"

Russia squinted at the man in front of him, but Greg just continued to hold his gaze. "That is a rather personal question." Russia commented coolly.

"Hmm, a little." Greg admitted. "But the only people who visit him are his family, and even then they only visit once or twice a year. So I can't help but get a little curious when he actually invites someone over. Of course, you don't have to answer the question; it was rather rude of me."

"Is that why you have been watching me?" Russia asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Oh, I didn't mean to stare." Greg chuckled. "You simply caught my interest. There isn't much to do down here."

"I see." Russia said, turning the carrier around and peaking in. Milashka meowed happily, purring when he saw Russia. Smiling, Russia stuck a finger into the cage and Milashka rubbed up against it. "I am simply a coworker who is staying for awhile for work related reasons."

"Are you good friends?" Greg asked.

"I would not say that." Russia admitted. "But we have known each other for a long time, and he offered to let me stay at his place for my trip."

"Hmm." Greg hummed with a slow nod. "Well, if that's the story I guess I won't pry. It's nice to see Alfred hanging out with people outside of his family. While he's a social butterfly he doesn't usually stay in one place long enough to make connections."

Russia frowned at that. America didn't strike him as the lonely type.

"Well, I better let you get going, I'm afraid I've held you up for long enough." Greg chuckled.

"Da, goodbye." Russia said, picking up the crate and making his way up the stairs. What a strange guy.

When Russia entered the apartment, he saw America scooping litter into a second litter pan, with Hero sniffing it curiously. Hearing the door open, America looked up with a grin.

"So, our new roommate is here!" America said, bouncing over and looking into the carrier. "Aw, he's so cute!"

Russia chuckled. "Yes, he does live up to his name."

"That he does." America laughed. "Why don't you let him out in your room? I'm sure he'd feel better being surrounded by your scent before he explores the rest of the house."

Russia agreed, and they walked over to Russia's room. America stood by the door as Russia walked over to the bed. Setting the carrier down, Russia unlocked it and Milashka walked out of it carefully, looking around his surroundings. Milashka was an all grey cat, with the exception of his front chest and tip of his tail, which were white. He also was super fluffy. So fluffy in fact, he looked like a walking marshmallow. Spotting Russia, he started to purr immediately and pounced over to Russia and started to rub himself all over him.

"Hello, Milashka." Russia said happily, petting him. "Did you miss me?"

Milashka purred louder in response.

"Oh my god, he's so fluffy!" America almost squealed. "I love him!"

Russia raised an eyebrow. "Will Hero get jealous with a second cat in the house?"

"Nah, Hero loves everyone. See, here he comes now." America chuckled as Hero walked into the room. Spotting Milashka, Hero froze for a second. Then he jumped up onto the bed and ran straight up to Milashka, sniffing him. Milashka jumped back in surprise, chirping at Hero, who chirped right back.

"Aw, they're talking." America cooed.

Milashka paused for a second, then he lifted his paw and gently patted Hero's nose. Hero meowed and head butted Milashka purring loudly.

"I think they'll get along just well." Russia chuckled as Milashka licked the top of Hero's head.

"Can I pet him?" America asked.

"I would not recommend it." Russia admitted. "He is friendly with other animals, but he doesn't trust people right away. I would wait for him to approach you first."

"Aww." America sulked. "But he's so freaking fluffy. I want to pet him."

"He will come around in time." Russia reassured, amused to see America's disappointment.

"Aw well." America sighed. "Hey, Italy called earlier by the way."

"What for?"

"He said he's taking care of lunch this time."

"Oh." Russia said with a frown. "Are we having pasta again?"

"And garlic bread." America said with laugh. "Although I'm sure his brother will actually bring along some other dishes as well."

"Thank goodness for that." Russia muttered. "For as well as Italy can cook, he does not often stray from pasta and pasta related dishes."

"Isn't that true." America agreed. "Speaking of which, what did you want for dinner? I was thinking burgers."

Russia grimaced. "Ah, I do not think-"

"Ah ah ah, not McDonalds, my homemade kind. They are so much better, I swear!"America said, holding up a finger to cut Russia off. "Don't knock it till you try them dude! When it comes to homemade burgers I'm the best around."

Russia hesitated, them nodded. "I will try them, but I cannot guarantee that I will enjoy them." Russia warned.

"All I ask is you try them. My usual taste tester is currently on my shit list, so you'll do." America said with a grin. "They'll be ready in a few hours, so if you want to chill out you can." Humming, America turned around and walked to the kitchen. Russia watched him go, and then turned around to watch the two cats in front of him. Milashka was currently in a wrestling match with Hero. They both appeared to be having quite a bit of fun, pausing here and there to lick each other, and then going back to wrestling.

Walking over to a nearby drawer, Russia pulled out a string. Facing the bed, he threw one end next to the cats. Hero spotted it immediately, jumping up and attempted to pounce on it. Russia tugged the end of the string out of his reach at the last second. Hero's tail started to swish back and forwards, and he attempted to pounce on it a few more times before Milashka decided to join in.

Milashka caught the string on his first pounce, but Russia was able to pull the string out of his grip and zig zagged it across the bed and onto the floor. Hero tumbled off the bed in his haste to catch it, making Russia chuckle. Hero shook himself, and then ran towards the string again. Russia spun it in a circle for awhile, until Hero got dizzy and flopped onto the floor.

As soon as the string stopped, Milashka pounced off the bed and on top of it. Grabbing the string in mouth, he attempted to run off with it but Russia gently tugged it back. Milashka batted at the string for a second, then attempted to pull it out of Russia's grip. Laughing, Russia tugged the string out of Milashka's mouth a lifted it off the ground. Hero leapt towards it, but he missed.

This went on for about an hour, which ended up with both cats panting heavily and laying on the floor. Just as Russia was about to call it quits, Hero's ears stood up, and as quick as a whip he raced out of the door. Curious, Russia followed him into the kitchen, where he saw America placing down beef patties on the grill on his stove. America gave Hero an exasperated look.

"And just what are you waiting for?" He asked the cat at his feet.

"Meow."

"No."

"Meow!"

"You have your own food bowl, and your own dinner. I am not feeding you expensive meat."

"M-eow!"

"Uh-huh."

Hero pulled back his ears and gave America begging eyes.

"Those have never worked before. What makes you think that will work now?"

"MEOW!"

Sighing, America spotted Russia. "Oh, hey. How did you want your burger cooked?"

"Well done, if you do not mind." Russia requested.

America squinted at him. "Medium well is best, and you are clearly wrong, but I'll do it."

"Forgive me, but I do not trust your meat over here."

"How rude!" America sputtered. "I only make burgers with the best meat thank you!"

"MEOW!"

"See!" America said, pointing his spatula at Hero. "He agrees with me! And you're not getting anything." America added, making Hero hiss.

"Do you talk to your cat a lot?" Russia asked in amusement.

"He talks quite a bit." America said with a laugh. "Do you feed Milashka when you cook?"

"I do not. He would beg if I did." Russia said as said cat jumped onto his lap. Milashka sniffed the air and spotting America he chirped curiously.

"No, if I feed you I'll have to feed him." America said with a frown.

"Mew."

"No."

"Purr."

"No."

"PURR!"

"MEOW!"

"PURR!"

"MEOW!"

"This is getting out of hand, now there are two of them!" America sighed. "Fine, if it will shut both of you up."

"You are so easily swayed by a pair of cute eyes." Russia chuckled.

"They're too cute for their own good." America grumbled. After a few minutes America placed two bowls on the ground and the two cats jumped on it.

"And here is ours!" America said cheerfully, placing the dishes on the table. "Two cheeseburgers with lettuce, onions, pickles, tomatoes, and ketchup! Also I made a garden salad and steamed broccoli. I hope you enjoy!"

Russia had to admit, it all looked very good. And when he actually tried the burger, he was shocked to find it not only edible, but that he was actually enjoying it. America smirked at the shocked expression on Russia's face.

"Yeah, better than fast food crap, right?" America asked.

"It is! Why do not all burgers taste this?" Russia asked.

"Well, most are made at fast food places, so they are pre packaged." America sighed ruefully. "But if you want a real American burger you should go to a family grill or picnic. They actually use real fresh meat and grill. Plus, how you flavor the burger is up to you. I mean, I make a mean burger, but these aren't as good as the burgers I grill outside. A stove top grill just doesn't compare I'm afraid."

"Can I have the recipe?" Russia asked.

"Nope, trade secret." America said. "You may have it when I am dead, but not until then. I haven't even given it to France, and he's been begging me for years."

"For years?"

"Yup. I made the mistake of giving him one of my burgers and now he claims he won't quit until I give him the recipe or he makes a better burger than me. And while he can make a mean burger, his will never be as good as mine." America laughed. "I have a secret formula of sorts."

"Like SpongeBob?"

"Yeah, except mine is real! And you watch SpongeBob?" America asked excitedly.

"My sisters like to watch it. And I like the memes." Russia admitted.

"I thought memes were banned from Europe?"

"That was greatly exaggerated." Russia said with a shake of his head. "But sometimes I get yelled at while at work because I'm on them too much."

"Same." America said with a nod. "But meetings are so _boring_. Like, I've sat through meetings for over two hundred years. They all kind of sound the same after awhile."

"It does not get any more interesting with age." Russia sighed. "If anything they get more boring."

"Aw man, don't tell me that. I need some sort of hope for the future."

"Better to know now than in the future."

"I guess." America sighed. "Hey, actually I've been meaning to ask you, how old are you actually?"

"I have no idea." Russia said with a shrug. "I lost track centuries ago."

"What!" America asked in shock. "Dude, you must be super fucking old!"

"Which means you should respect me! I am an elder." Russia said happily.

"Nah, if you're an elder than I'm a punk kid who doesn't have to listen to you!" America said, sticking his tongue out at Russia. "If I never listen to China what makes you think I'll listen to you?"

"Hmm, I guess you have a point." Russia said. "But most of his information is out of date, so I would not recommend listening to him anyways."

"Think he ever gets bored with living?"

"I do not think so." Russia said, shaking his head. "I think he said once that people never fail to amuse him. They're always finding new ways to be stupid."

"Man, that's true." America grumbled. Then he perked up. "Hey, do you want to watch a movie after dinner?"

"I would not be opposed to the idea." Russia said after a moment. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"How about a Disney movie?"

"Do you have The Hunchback of Notre Dame?"

"Yeah, I have every movie Disney's ever made!" America said proudly. "However, most of my movie collection is in California, but I have all of the main Disney releases in most of my houses."

"How many movies do you have?"

"Oh, dude I have no idea. Something like twenty thousand currently I think."

Russia felt his jaw drop. "Have you even seen all of them?!" Russia asked in disbelief.

"Oh, goodness no." America laughed. "Who has that kind of time? I've only seen about a fourth of them. I'm still working my way through. In fact, my giant mansion in California is just for my movie collection. I separate the rooms by genre and the biggest room in the house is the movie room where I play them."

"That sounds rather expensive." Russia commented.

"A bit, but everyone needs a hobby." America said with a shrug. "Although, I'll be honest with you, I don't think I've watched more than a hundred of my romance movies even though that's my largest selection."

"Why not?"

"Because romance is so cheesy and predictable." America said with a frown. "There are only so many ways a romance story can end. You either get together or you don't. Either you're happy or you aren't. Either the romance is convincing or it only works due to plot. And if you really want to change things up you make the ending unclear. It's boring. It's an over saturated genre. And it has the same old clichés over and over again."

"I never knew you had such an outlook on romance." Russia said in mild surprise.

America shrugged. "I just prefer other genres and stories. Romance is ok if it's in the background, but I don't like it being focused on. I actually prefer stories about friendships."

"Why?" Russia asked, intrigued.

"Because friendships are a lot more complicated. I don't really know how to describe it. Like, there are so many different ways to be friends with someone. You can have someone who is super like you and be friends, but you could be total opposites and still be like peanut butter and jelly. You could hate each other guts, but still have a level of respect for each other, or have an unsteady alliance. You can be a casual friend, or a distant friend. And friendships can grow and change throughout your life. You can lose touch with someone you knew your whole life or be best friends with someone for only a day and never forget them. You can forge a friendship through hardship or break it. One choice can lose you a friend forever, or one choice can save it. You can just write and develop two people more if they aren't in love." America explained.

"There are different types of love you know." Russia pointed out. "You can love a friend. Family love isn't the same as sexual love. If anything, family love can be even more complicated than a friendship. There are plenty of amazing stories based on family love. And you don't only have to love a person. You can love a memory, an item, or an idea. Friendship is just a sub category of romance if you think about it."

"Hmm, I guess." America agreed reluctantly.

"How about we watch a Russian romance story?" Russia offered. "I brought a few movies over to watch. You might enjoy a few."

"I highly doubt it, but what the hell, why not? I don't think I've seen many Russian films. It would be good to expand my collection." America said with a small smile. "Although I didn't take you for a hopeless romance."

"I like the idea of Romance. While I am not taken to it outside of fiction, many popular ballets are based on romance and tragedy. It is a genre I have come to respect over the years, and I prefer realistic romance over that of idealized romance. In real life there are rarely happily ever after's. Most romances end in tragedy in the real world after all. I believe Hollywood has warped the idea of romance too much. Too many happy endings, not enough heartbreak."

"So sue me, I like happy endings." America huffed.

"I think you would like a movie called Admiral. It was made in 2008."

"What's it about?"

"Watch the movie and find out." Russia said with smirk as he finished his dinner.

"Okay, smartass." America huffed. "Go get the movie. Let me get the kitchen cleaned up and I'll make some popcorn."

When Russia had gotten back with the movie, America had set up the DVD player in the living room and was standing by the microwave with two popcorn bowls, while Milashka and Hero were napping next to each on the couch. Russia placed the DVD in the player, and had just sat down when America flopped down next to him.

"Do you need the English subtitles on or do you think you'll be able to get by?" Russia asked.

"Eh, turn them on. I keep them on most of the time on my movies anyways." America said with a shrug.

As they watched the movie, Milashka had stretched out some point and ended up and Russia's lap, while Hero had fallen asleep on the top of the couch next to America's head. By the end of the movie, America was sniffing a bit and Russia looked sleepy.

"Dude, see, this is why I hate movies like this. It gets me all emotional with feelings I'd rather deny I have." America pouted. "Like, why did he have to die in the end? Why did everyone end up miserable?"

"Such is the way of Russian romance." Russia said with a yawn.

"You're romance sucks!" America said, pointing a finger at Russia. "Give me a good old fashion hero and his lady riding off into the sunset over this any day."

"You are just uncultured." Russia chuckled. Glancing up at the clock, he got up with a groan. "I think I am going to head to bed now. It is starting to get late."

"Alright, I'm going to stay up for a while more and catch up on some work." America said with a yawn. "See you tomorrow Russia."

"Call me Ivan."

America froze, then glanced over at Russia in confusion. "Huh?"

Russia hesitated, then repeated himself. "Call me Ivan. We are going to be living together for some time. We might as well call each other by each other names."

America sat in silence for a second, then gave Ivan an unsure smile. "I guess that makes sense. I guess you can call me Alfred."

"Da, goodnight." Russia said with an unsure smile of his own. As he walked out of the room, Alfred smiled. Well, looks like today didn't suck to badly after all. He was still going to kick his brother's ass next time he saw him though.

 **A/N: Chapter 4 has arrived! It's been awhile, but I finally continued the story! Will they just be good friends, or something more?! Hell, even I don't know. It all depends on you guys! There is an updated poll on my profile (because the other one is out of date), to see if it becomes romance of friendship. Like I've mentioned earlier I've never done a romance before, but hey, I need to branch out. I mean, I've hinted at it before, or made it in such a way where if you squint it's there, so how hard can it really be? By the way if you think having two cats begging for food is bad try five cats and a dog.**


	5. Rumors (Day 4)

Germany had been having a good morning. He had woken up early, had made himself a nutritious breakfast of eggs, he was all caught on his work, and his boss had told him to have day off and enjoy New York. All in all, it had been shaping up to be a good day. That was until his phone rang. Looking down at the caller ID, he couldn't help but sigh. As was common, Italy was calling him again. What on earth had that noodle head done now? Picking up the phone, but careful not to hold the receiver too close to his ear, he said, "This is Germany."

"GERMANY!" Italy wailed. "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE! IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD! HELP!"

"CALM DOWN!" Germany yelled back. "State what you have to say calmly so I can understand you, you noodle loving buffoon!" Pinching the bridge of his nose, Germany sighed.

"I'm sorry, but Germany, America told me he wasn't hungry!"

"HOW THE HELL IS THAT MY PROBLEM?!" Germany shouted. "What America is eating or not eating is none of my concern!"

"But it's a sign that bad things are coming!" Italy sobbed. "The last time he wasn't hungry he went into a recession. Which means we'll go into a recession!"

Germany felt his eye twitch. "What kind of faulty logic is that?" Germany chastised. "He also says he isn't hungry when England offers him his food, or when he's bickering with Russia, or when he's busy with a project, or that one time he was planning to blow up the moon with nuclear weapons. Sure, he has an unholy appetite, but he isn't always stuffing burgers down his throat!"

"He also yelled at me!" Italy sniffed.

Germany paused at that. That was odd. "Why would he yell at you?" Germany asked.

"Well, I called him to ask him a few questions about the meeting, and he just started yelling at me. It was super scary! But as soon as he realized it was me he apologized, then when I brought up that Russia was staying over at his place he yelled at me again! Then-"

"Russia is at America's house?" Germany asked in surprise.

"Ve? You didn't know about that?" Italy asked in confusion. "France has been telling everyone about it, I thought you knew already."

"I usually ignore any calls from France." Germany said with a grimace. "Why is Russia staying with America?"

"France said something about them hooking up." Italy said with a giggle.

"I find that rather hard to believe." Germany said, cringing at the unwelcome image that just popped into his head.

"Yeah, no one else believes that either." Italy said. "But England mentioned that it was supposed to be a project that their bosses had planned in order to make them stop fighting."

Germany snorted in disbelief. "The day those two become friends will be the day the world ends. They can't even be in the same room without trying to start World War Three."

"I wouldn't say that they were that bad." Italy said uncertainly.

"Italy, a few years ago America was practically ready to throw himself over the conference table and fight Russia due to his politics at the time. And Russia is always looking for some way to screw America over. They mix as well as oil and water ."

"It's not impossible. They used to be friends you know." Italy pointed out.

"That may be true, but that was then, and this is now." Germany said with a sigh. "Maybe a miracle will happen and the two countries will get along, but for the time being I doubt anything is going to change between them."

"I guess you're right." Italy sighed. "Oh! I'm going to be making lunch for the meeting! I'm going to be making pasta!"

"Why is it always pasta with you?" Germany groaned.

"What? But pasta is so good!" Italy whined.

"I swear, your blood must be pasta sauce at this point."

"Aw, don't be upset. My brother is bringing pizza over!"

"YOU TWO NEED TO EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS!"

_LineBreak_

"So, I was thinking about where we should in the city today." Alfred said was he bit into his toast. He and Russia were currently eating breakfast, with Milashka and Hero playing with each other under the table.

"Oh?" Ivan asked, looking up from his newspaper.

"Yeah, I was thinking that we should go on the Staten Island Ferry and visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island."

"While that would be interesting, perhaps we should visit the Ferry's another time." Ivan said with a frown. "I heard it is supposed to be a mix of snow and rain this afternoon. I would rather do an indoor activity where we would not be in the cold rain."

"Aw, crappy weather always screws with my plans." Alfred pouted. "This is why I hang out down south during the winter."

"Do you spend your time up north during the summer?" Ivan asked, looking back down at his newspaper.

"Sometimes." Alfred admitted. "But I also spend time in the Midwest and on the coasts as well."

"So you are like a migrating bird." Ivan said with a small smirk. "You are like the Canadian goose."

"I'm nothing like those hell spawns!" Alfred huffed, puffing out his cheeks. "Those things are evil."

"Hmm, I see no difference yet." Ivan said.

"Rude! And those geese are evil incarnated." Alfred said, jabbing his fork at Ivan. "Every time I get near one of those things they attack me. I swear, Mattie puts them up to it just to spite me."

"I highly doubt that."

"Actually, now that I think about it a lot of things from Canada are evil. His geese, his singers, his maple syrup-"

"How is maple syrup a bad thing?" Ivan asked in confusion.

"It's highly delicious and addictive." Alfred said seriously. "Once you get a taste of real maple syrup from his place it's all over. You can never go back. Pancakes are ruined forever without it."

"I think that is just a personal problem for you." Ivan said with a bemused shake of his head.

"Just you wait." Alfred warned, "The next time you have a pancake you'll be craving that maple syrup goodness and you'll know I'm right."

"I am sure." Ivan said as he sipped his juice. "Now, back to our previous discussion. Where should we go this afternoon?"

"I guess we can head to one of the museums. We won't be in the rain that way. That and we can go shopping afterwards. I actually need to pick up a few things up. After all, I still need to decorate the apartment for Christmas. Also, I still need to pick up some presents for some of the other nations and plan out this year's Christmas party."

"The one I am never invited to?" Russia asked with a frown, and America froze mid bite. Throwing an embarrassed glance at Russia, America cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Um, yeah. That party." America admitted, avoiding Russia's gaze. "You, uh, can come this year if you want seeing as you're staying with me. I mean, it would kind of weird if you didn't seeing as you're kind of living with me…"

"No, thank you." Russia sighed. "I would not like to go to a party where I am clearly not welcomed and where I would make people uncomfortable. That and I do not like being invited out of pity."

"I mean." America said, making a helpless gesture, "I get what you're saying, but what do you want me to say dude? This is kind of awkward."

"I am not sure." Russia admitted.

"Okay, so we'll just ignore that it was brought up in the first place. Got it." America sighed. "Now, which museum would you like to go to? An art museum, or a history museum? We could also tour some of the more historic regions of the city if you want. Or a bus tour if you're feeling up to it."

"Russia thought it over for a few moments. "I think I would like to revisit the Museum of Natural History. It has been quite a while since I have been there."

"Oh, cool!" Alfred said happily. "It's been awhile since I've stopped in there. Do you want to head out around noon?"

"That would be fine." Ivan said with a shrug.

"Also, we need to figure out what else we're going to do throughout the month." Alfred said as he finished his toast. "I mean, we can keep going on a day to day schedule, I'm cool with that, but there are things I need to plan ahead of time. Like, if we're going to visit Broadway I have to know now because getting tickets for some of the shows is really difficult. I mean, some of the more popular shows can cost up to three hundred dollars for two tickets so I need to know now to get the good seats."

"Do you know what shows are going on right now?"

"I'm not sure, but I think I heard Hamilton is still playing, as well as the Lion King, Wicked, and a few others. I've already seen The Lion King and Wicked, but I wouldn't be against seeing them again, but I've never seen Hamilton."

"Wasn't that very popular a few years ago?" Ivan asked, remembering that a few people in his office had been excitably talking about it at some point.

"More like people were obsessed with it." Alfred said with a laugh. "I couldn't go a minute without someone either bugging me to go see it or someone breaking out into song at my office. But because I was busy at the time I never got around to seeing it. Hell, I think England was even obsessed with it at one point. I think one of the Royals went to one of the shows, but I can't remember which one."

"Then we should go see it. If it is a good as everyone says it is we should have a good time." Ivan said as he gathered up his dishes.

"Alright, I'll get on that. And just throw those in the dishwasher." Alfred said, nodding towards Ivan's dishes as he gathered up his own plate.

"Would it not be faster to wash them?" Ivan pointed out.

"Yes, but I hate washing dishes." America said, opening the dishwasher.

"You mean you are too lazy to do them."

"Yup, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. That, and because if I own one why not use it?"

"I suppose." Ivan said as he handed Alfred his dishes.

About an hour later, after Ivan had put on his coat and after Alfred had put on his coat, earmuffs and gloves and grabbed his umbrella, Alfred locked up the apartment and they headed out towards the street. As they entered the lobby, Russia glanced over at the desk, and saw Greg watching him. Russia nodded slightly, and Greg nodded back. As they walked out the doors, Russia felt Greg's gaze on the back of his neck.

"May I ask you something?" Ivan asked as they made their way to a nearby bus stop. It was rather busy, and Ivan and Alfred had to press together slightly to avoid colliding with passerby's.

"Sure, shoot." America said, twirling his umbrella in his hands, looking up at Russia curiously.

"How did you meet Mr. Greg?"

Alfred frowned. "You sure have taken an interest in him. Do you have a problem with him or something?"

"Not at all." Ivan said coolly. "In fact the other day I had a nice conversation with him when I picked up Milashka. I am just curious is all."

America raised an eyebrow but didn't press."It was about three or four years ago. I was apartment hunting, and I found an ad in my email for cheap deals on apartments in the apartment building I live in now."

"How did they know you were apartment hunting?" Ivan asked with a frown.

"Dude, if you think about something these days you'll get an ad for it within five minutes." Alfred said with a snort. "I wouldn't be surprised to see an ad for cat food on my phone because I mentioned it earlier. I just assume all my electronics are listening to everything I say."

"That is a disturbing thought."

"Yeah, and people put out all their personal lives online without a second thought. You just sort of get used to it. Anyways, when I came to see some of the apartments here, Greg took me on a tour of the place, and eventually set me up."

"Do you talk to each other frequently? He seemed quite familiar with you."

"I mean, no more than the other people in the complex. He's come up to my apartment to take care of some things that broke before and we say hello in the lobby and chat, but I don't try to get too involved with people. I'll probably be moving out of the apartments in another few months anyway."

"To avoid suspicions?" Ivan asked, giving Alfred a sympathetic look.

"Yeah. I mean, I look like a freaking teenager. It's kind of obvious that I'm not aging like the rest of people who look my age. After all, I'm supposed to be 23 right now and I don't look any different from the day I showed up and said I was 19. Some of my neighbors have already started to comment that I must have amazing genes to look as good as I do." Alfred said with a shrug. "I usually move around every three to four years. I think I'm going to be moving somewhere west for the next three years."

"You have multiple houses, do you not?" Ivan asked with a frown. "Why do you not simply move around more frequently? Why stay in one place at all? Or on the other hand, why not find somewhere private and build a permanent house to live in?"

"Being on the move all the time is suspicious." Alfred pointed out as they walked up to the bus stop. "And I don't like having a main house. It's boring being in the same place all the time. Plus, how would I ever choose which state to live in!? It's impossible to choose! I love all of them too much to make a choice. So I end up moving around."

"That sounds rather inconvenient." Ivan said with a shake of head.

"Hey, not all of us are happy with putting their house in the middle of freaking Siberia and living in the middle of freaking nowhere." Alfred huffed.

"Speaking of your age, does that mean you aren't able to buy alcohol most of the time?" Ivan asked as they walked up to the bus stop.

"Even if I lie to people and say I'm older than I am, and that my fake license says I'm of age, biologically I'm still under aged. So the freaking kill joys back in D.C. prohibit me from buying any. If I try and go buy any and they find out my boss will chew me out. I swear, it's like they forget I'm hundreds of years older than them." Alfred pouted.

"Well, you do not exactly act like you are older than them." Ivan chuckled. "All they probably see is you acting like a kid. Not to mention you have a baby face."

"I do not!" Alfred squawked, making Ivan laugh.

"But you do." Ivan said, poking Alfred's cheek. "It's probably your fat baby cheeks."

"Do that again and I'll bite your finger." Alfred snapped, smacking Ivan's hand away. "And my cheeks are not fat. I'm quite manly!" At that, Ivan started to laugh hysterically. Alfred fumed as Russia clutched the edge of the bus sign in attempt to not fall over. "And what is so funny?!"

"Of all the things you have claimed to be." Russia giggled. "You are just a babe! You cannot even grow a beard!"

"I will run you through with my umbrella!" America threatened, jabbing Russia in the side angrily. "And I never needed a fucking beard to kick your ass!"

"You have never kicked my ass." Russia pointed out, pushing America's umbrella away from him. "And if I remember correctly, the only time we have directly fought I beat you."

America glared at Russia, then turned away from him with a huff. "Whatever, that was years ago. I could kick your ass easily now."

"I do not think we will ever fight again like that." Russia said with a smile. "We would probably try and nuke each other before that."

"Hmm, I guess that's true." Alfred admitted. "Still, I'd probably destroy you first."

"I doubt it." Ivan said cheerfully.

They stood in silence for a minute before Alfred spoke again. "Here comes the bus." As the bus pulled up to the curb, Alfred sighed. "I wonder if we'll run into any of the others."

"I would not think so. The city is so large that it would be unlikely that we would see anyone we know." Ivan commented as they boarded the bus. Alfred hummed doubtfully as he put their money into the fare box and they sat down in the back of the bus.

"I wouldn't count on that." Alfred said with a shake of head. "They have a habit of coming out the woodwork when you least expect it."

"The others are probably too busy getting ready for the meeting to be doing much sightseeing." Ivan pointed out.

"Nah, I'm sure some of them are looking around. I know Germany gets his work done early, as well as a few others. Whenever they come over I usually find them touring my place. Excluding England of course, seeing as he didn't make it to the meeting this time."

"Oh, I did not know that." Ivan said is surprise. "Is that you were grumbling about England the other day?"

"Yeah, but I could have sworn I mentioned that before." Alfred said with a frown. "Maybe not, oh well. He has the flu, so he gave me his notes to present for this meeting. I really don't want to though." America said with a huff. "He's dealing with all of that Brexit crap and I haven't been following it, so I barley have any idea what's going on. He told me to stick to his notes, but his notes are confusing me."

"How are they confusing you?" Ivan asked.

"He keeps talking about different people in his government that I've never heard about, and talking about things like dissolution and he said, she said stuff. That and there doesn't even seem like there's a concrete plan on what to do for if he does leave the EU. I'm not even part of the freaking EU! I don't care about this kind of crap!" Alfred whined. "I have no idea why he gave me the notes instead of Germany or France!"

"It is because you are the hosting nation."

"Just because I'm the hosting nation doesn't mean I'm qualified to present this crap!" Alfred snapped.

"Well, you are not really qualified to give your own presentations most of the time, so I see your point." Ivan said with a nod.

"My presentations are fine! It's the rest of you that are the problem." Alfred said angrily, glaring at the taller nation. "Plus, I don't really understand why I have to present anyways. Everyone already knows what's going on with me most of the time; it almost seems like a waste for me to update everyone. That and everyone has already told me their opinions about my life every other day, so I don't need updates from them either."

"Believe it or not, not everyone is wrapped up with you." Ivan scoffed. "Sometimes the other nations do need an update from you."

"I wouldn't know that with the amount of emails from the others saying stuff like, "America, you're an idiot", or, "America, I know how to run your country better than you!" Alfred said bitterly. "I wish people keep their noses out of my life."

"That is rich coming from you." Russia snorted.

"Oh, don't pretend you aren't putting your dirty little mitts on everyone else's stuff either." America said, pointing a finger at Russia. "Don't pretend to be any better than me!"

"Oh, but aren't I?" Russia said with a menacing smile, his aura radiating around him.

"No." America said bluntly. Then glancing around the bus, America dropped his voice to a whisper. "And knock that death aura crap off, you're scaring people."

Russia blinked in surprise. He glanced around as well, and he saw people around the bus giving them nervous looks.

"My apologies." Russia said with a small smile, and the aura faded away. "I forgot we were in public."

"You shouldn't be doing that crap, period." America sighed. "It freaks out some of the other nations as well you know."

"Imitation is the key to respect." Russia said with a shrug. "Plus, it is not that scary."

"Like hell it isn't!"

"It's never bothered you." Ivan pointed out with a frown.

"I've never been scared of you." Alfred said with a slight smirk. "Although I'll admit that you make me nervous sometimes."

"Oh?"

"I mean, I'd have to be an idiot if I wasn't." Alfred said with a laugh. "I mean, it's not you're a minor threat you know. I do have some brains you know, even if I don't always act like it."

"Interesting." Ivan commented with a slight smirk of his own. "Are you saying that you only pretend to be stupid?"

"I'm not telling." Alfred said playfully, sticking his tongue out at Ivan. "It's not fun giving away my secrets when you don't offer any in return."

"Ah, now I am disappointed." Ivan said with an exaggerated sigh. "And here I thought I could get all of your government secrets out of you."

Alfred burst out laughing, and Ivan couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"Aw man," Alfred giggled, "our relationship is so freaking screwed up. I can't decide if I like you or if I want to punch you."

"The feeling is mutual." Ivan responded.

"What the hell were our bosses thinking?" Alfred asked, shaking his head. "I wouldn't be surprised if this project came to bite us in the ass later."

"I am not sure. But I am afraid that we don't have much choice in the matter." Ivan said.

"Hmm, I guess not. Oh, our stop is coming up." Alfred said as he looked out the window, looking slightly relived.

"So soon?" Ivan asked, slightly surprised.

"Yeah, well my apartment isn't too far from the museum." Alfred said with a shrug.

"Your apartment seems to be near everything."

"That's because I got lucky." Alfred said with a grin as the bus came to a stop. "Come on, time is getting on here. I want to cover as much of the museum as I can." With that, Alfred hopped up from his seat and walked towards the doors. "Hurry up, old man!"

"Do not make me cane you." Ivan huffed as he followed him.

_LineBreak_

Germany hummed slightly as he read an information tag about the Alaskan brown bear. He was currently in the North American Mammal exhibit with Japan, who was looking at a display of and Alaskan mink.

"This was a good idea, Japan." Germany said with a small smile. "I can't believe I never thought of coming here before."

"I am glad you are enjoying yourself." Japan said with a small smile of his own. "However, it was a shame Italy could not join us."

"Hmm, that probably was for the best." Germany said with a shake of his head. "He gets bored pretty quickly in museums."

"I suppose." Japan said.

"Speaking of Italy, I got a call from him yesterday." Germany said with tired sigh.

"Oh dear, what happened?" Japan asked, throwing Germany a sympathetic glace.

"He was upset because America yelled at him and then told him he wasn't hungry." Germany explained, rolling his eyes. "He also said something about Russia living in America's house, and that he was going to making lunch for the world meeting."

"What?!" Japan asked, looking up sharply at Germany.

"I know, I can't believe we have to put up with pasta again. I suppose it's better than England's cooking again but-"

"I am sorry, but did you say America and Russia are rooming together?" Japan asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Germany raised an eyebrow at Japans reaction. "Yes, Italy told me that France had been telling everyone about it. I'm surprised Italy hasn't already told you about this. He usually runs around screaming at the top of his lungs about gossip."

"Why would Russia and America room together?"

Germany shrugged his shoulders. "Italy told me it had something to do with their bosses wanting them to get along better. Although," Germany said with an amused shake of his head, "I doubt that will ever happen. Knowing America's temper, they'll be brawling in the streets soon and the whole thing will be called off."

"Ah, I see." Japan said. "My sympathies with America. I would not wish Russia on anyone."

"America is probably foaming at the mouth with rage." Germany said with a sigh. "I'm not looking forwards to the meeting next week. America and Russia will probably be fighting more than usual, and with England sick and the rumors flying around it's going to be a mess."

"Rumors?" Japan asked with a confused frown.

"Oh, it's nothing." Germany said with a grimace. "It's something France is spreading around. He's saying the reason America and Russia are rooming together is because they are dating."

Japan raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "And he expects anyone to believe that?"

"France does what he wants, unfortunately for the rest of us." Germany sighed. "Probably stalking them as we speak to see if he can get any evidence."

"Oui, I am."

"See, what did I-" Germany started to say, then stiffening, Germany spun around and saw France's face sticking out a potted plant near the door of the exhibit room. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Germany shouted.

"I am following America and Russia." France said cheerfully, holding up a disposable camera and winking at Germany, whose face had turned red from anger. "They are here you see, and they came together alone. It is most likely a date! I'm here to get proof."

"America and Russia are here?" Japan asked, his eyes narrowing again.

"Get the hell out of that plant you idiot!" Germany shouted, storming over to France and dragging him out of the fake plant.

"Oh my!" France squawked as he fell onto the floor. "So rough!" France whined, rubbing his back as he stood up.

"You shouldn't be stalking them! You should be ashamed!" Germany said angrily. "What if they spot you? They'll beat you senseless!"

"It does not matter!" France said, said with a flirty smirk. "When it comes to the heart, I will always be there! Why, this is the first time America has taken an interest in anyone! And to think that he told me that romance was stupid!"

"I highly doubt that is the case." Japan said.

"Non, I am sure of it!" France said. "In fact, I can prove it!"

"You're clearly delusional, and I feel sorry for you." Germany said.

"As I was following them, I heard America say 'milashka!'"

"Miashka?" Japan asked with a frown.

"It is Russian for Cutie!" France said triumphantly. "He was clearly addressing Russia when he said it, so it must be America's pet name to Russia!"

"How the hell do you even know what that means?" Germany asked, giving France an unimpressed glare.

"Why, I live for romance! And due to that, I know all endearing words in all languages." France said, flipping his hair out of his face.

"Did you have any context to that?" Germany asked.

"Well, no." France admitted, pouting. "They were too far away for me to hear them very well, but why else would America say such a thing?"

Germany opened his mouth to reply, and then he paused. Frowning, he glanced unsurely at Japan.

"Maybe you misheard." Japan said.

"Non, I did not! I heard it as clear as a bell!" France said adamantly.

"Maybe he was talking about one of the exhibits." Germany suggested.

"Well, seeing as they were the meteorite room at the time, I highly doubt it." France said with a smirk. "Admit it, I was right!"

"Unfortunately, I cannot." Japan said with a sigh. "America and Russia have been fighting for the better part of a century. I would find it very strange if they suddenly fell in love in three days. And just because you heard one word does not mean you have solid evidence to say otherwise."

"But, I-" France sputtered, giving Japan a look of udder betrayal.

"I agree with Japan." Germany said. "What you have is not solid evidence."

France deflated and pouted at the other two nations in front of him. "Poo, you two are no fun. If Italy were here he would have agreed with me."

"Well, he isn't, so I think you need to-" Germany started to say.

"Dude, will you hurry up?!" A familiar voice shouted from down the hall. "The next space exhibit is this way, we just need to cut through here!"

"SHIT!" France shrieked, running back over the fake plant and diving back in. "If they spot me I'm dead!"

"Germany, we should probably hide as well. America will probably not be in the mood to see us." Japan said, tugging Germany behind a display of plants near where France was hidden.

"This is stupid." Germany grumbled. "It isn't like we were doing anything wrong."

"Shh!" France and Japan hushed him.

Just as they had stopped talking, America and Russia came around the corner. Germany examined the other nations. Surprisingly, neither nation looked even a little upset or angry. In fact, Russia looked slightly amused, and America was bouncing up and down excitably.

"That room was so cool! I always forget how awesome that room is when I come here." America said happily.

"Yes, it was very interesting." Russia said with a low chuckle.

"Those Mars samples were freaking sweet!" America said, his eyes practically glowing. "I can't wait to send people to Mars! Then I get more samples!"

"That is probably still decades away." Russia said, shaking his head sadly.

"I know that, but DUDE! Mars rocks!" America said, staring intently at Russia. "That's even cooler than Moon rocks!"

"Do you think Mars ever supported life?" Russia asked curiously. "I heard they thought they found proof of microbes."

"And a watery climate!" America said. "Plus, with all the evidence we've found in the last few years I'm sure there was some sort of life there at some point. Hell, maybe there still is!"

"I am not too sure about that." Russia said with a smile. "But I do think we can colonize the planet."

"I can't wait!" America practically squealed. "Just think about it! There could be space cowboys in the future!"

"I do not think-" Russia started to say.

"Do not take this from me." America said, cutting Russia off, giving him a warning look. "Just let me dream."

"Of course." Russia said, shaking his head in amusement.

"Anyways, lets hurry!" America said, running ahead of Russia. "The Cosmic Pathway is this way!"

"I am hurrying." Russia said in an exasperated tone as they exited the room again. As soon as they were sure they were in the clear, the other nations left their hiding spots.

"I never realized how much of a nerd America is." France commented.

"I did." Japan said. The other two shot Japan a surprised look. "He comes over to my house to read manga and watch anime sometimes." Japan said with a shrug.

"Well, they seem to be getting along ok." Germany said with a frown. "That's weird."

"Not really." Japan said. "Whenever America talks about space he gets into a really good mood. Russia has a similar interest in space, so I'm not surprised they're talking together about it."

"Well, I must be on my way." France said, a glint in his eye as he held up his camera. "The hunt continues. ADIEU!" And with that France chased after America and Russia.

"He's so weird." Germany sighed.

"Shall we continue our tour?" Japan asked.

"Might as well." Germany said, walking the opposite direction of France. "Let's just put some space between us and them though."

"Agreed." Japan said, but as soon as Germany turned around Japan glanced behind him with a frown. Then shaking his head he followed Germany out of the room.

 **A/N: And I'm going to leave it here for now. ALRIGHT EVERYONE, THE POLL CAME IN! And with a vote of 13 to 2 , Romance won! So I guess this is going to be my first romance story ever! Yay me! Okay, just going to warn you guys here, this is not going to be a quick story. This is going to be a slow burn. But I promise, I'm not going to go at an icebergs pace either. Please also keep in mind this is the first time I've taken a story with an actual plot and eventual ending and actually kept up with it, so take mercy on me! I've been used to writing short stories for the last four years. I can't wait to post the world meeting chapter. Like, you guys have no idea. BTW, can anyone who lives in New York please tell me what it's like there. I live in the south, and I do not live in a city, so please forgive me if my descriptions of the city suck. I take everything I know and describe off maps and google street view.**

 **(P.S. Rusame has always been my favorite ship in this fandom, so I'm pumped for this!)**


	6. Let's go out to dinner (Day 4)

"That was fun!" Alfred said cheerfully. They had just finished touring the building, and were standing by the exit, putting on their coats.

"Da, it was." Ivan said with a small smile. "Although, I could have sworn we were being followed."

Alfred scoffed. "I see you're as paranoid as usual."

"I am not being paranoid if I am right." Ivan pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's only France." Alfred said as he walked over to the umbrella stand by the doors.

"So you did notice him."

"It's not like it's hard to spot France spying on us." Alfred said, rolling his eyes. "It's kind of hard to not hear him doing that creepy laugh of his when he's that close by."

"He probably did not even realize he was doing it." Russia said with a shake of his head. "Why do you think he was following us?"

"He's been spreading a rumor that we're going out, so he's probably trying to get proof." Alfred said, rummaging through the umbrellas, a frown appearing on his face.

"That," Russia said with a grimace, "is something I never want you to say again."

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual." Alfred muttered. "Damn it! Someone stole my umbrella."

"Ah, that is most unfortunate." Ivan said, glancing at the weather outside. A slush rain was falling.

"Aw man, this sucks." Alfred said angrily. "I just bought that umbrella. Now I have to get another one!" With a huff, he spun around and stormed out the door. "Come on, let's make a run for it. I don't want to be in this weather for too long."

"How did you even know about France spreading a rumor?" Russia asked as he followed Alfred out onto the street, pulling his scarf around his face to block the cold droplets of rain from hitting his face.

"Oh, Lithuania told me." Alfred explained as he put his hood up. "He called me when you and Canada went out."

"Oh?" Russia hummed thoughtfully, glancing down at Alfred. "And what did you two talk about?"

"Mostly about the rumor." Alfred said smoothly, squinting up at Ivan through his now water speckled glasses. "He was telling me how the other nations were reacting to us rooming together."

Ivan sighed as they made their way back towards the bus station. "And how did they react?"

"About how you would think." Alfred said, rolling his eyes. "I hear that they started up a betting pool on how long we can go without killing each other."

"Do you think that they will let us join in?" Ivan asked hopefully. "We could rig it and get all of their money."

"While that's a great idea, I don't think they would let us join, and I think it would be funnier if we pretended that we didn't know anything about it." Alfred said with a chuckle. "We already promised our bosses that we aren't going to beat the living shit out of each other, and I doubt that anyone betted that we would go the whole month without killing each other. No one is going to win."

"I suppose." Ivan agreed, looking a little disappointed.

"I bet China said something about there being bad omens."

"Uh, China and his omens." Ivan groaned. "He will not stop talking about them. Every time we talk, bad omen this, bad omen that. I will cram his bad omens down his throat if he keeps bringing them up anymore."

"To be fair, a lot of bad shit goes down when you show up somewhere."

"Yes, but that is because of me, not some stupid evil spirits." Ivan pouted. "I would like credit for my work."

Alfred busted out laughing. "You're the only guy I know who wants credit for being a bad guy."

"I suppose. I wonder how England feels about the rumor." Ivan said with a chuckle. "He's rather overprotective about you."

"What are you talking about?"Alfred asked, looking up at Russia with a confused frown. "England doesn't give two shits about my love life. And what the hell does England know about love? That old fart probably thinks even looking at anything more than an ankle is a sin against nature."

"I wouldn't say that. He had a thing for that queen of his for awhile. Queen Elizabeth the first I believe. In fact, I heard a rumor that he-"

"STOP!" Alfred said, clamping his hands over his ears. "That's quite enough of that. I don't want to know about his love life! I don't need to know!"

"And you say England is a prude." Ivan said with a chuckle. "You're redder than a tomato."

"Shut up." Alfred huffed, putting his hands back into his coat pockets. "Anyways, England probably doesn't care. It's not like I've ever dated anyone before, and that's likely never going to change."

"You have never…?" Ivan asked slowly, staring at the younger nation in shock. "Not even once?"

Alfred let out a laugh. "Why are you so surprised? Have I ever shown signs of interest for anyone before? I guess you can say that my opinion of romance is the same for both the fictional world and real world. I'm just not into it. I prefer to have friends rather than romantic partners."

"I suppose not." Ivan admitted, studying Alfred. "I thought you would have had someone before. Most of the other nations have."

"Nah, I don't have time for such things." Alfred said with shrug. "I just move around too much and have too much work to do to look for someone."

"I guess that makes sense." Ivan said.

"Plus…" Alfred started to say, but then he paused, frowning at the ground. Ivan noticed that he was avoiding looking at him, and he had a faraway look in his eyes that didn't look match his usual cheery expressions.

"Plus?" Ivan asked, raising an eyebrow at Alfred's hesitance.

Alfred seemed to snap out of it, and grinned up at Ivan. "It's not important. Anyways, what did you mean by over protective?"

"Oh." Ivan said, feeling a twinge of disappointment at Alfred's deflection. "When you were still living with him, he basically threatened the other nations to not come anywhere near you, and he would run a sword through anyone who looked at you wrong."

"Really?" Alfred asked with a small smile. "He never told me that."

"Well, he was like that until you told him to fuck off. Then he practically begged every nation around him to kick your ass."

"Ah, there's the England I know." America chuckled as they made it to the bus stop.

"I remember him asking me to send troops to destroy you." Ivan said with a small smirk. "I did not to piss him off."

"Sounds like something you would do.

"Da, it was very entertaining to see him get attacked by everyone at the time. I was hoping that everyone would destroy each other and that I would take over, but in the end that didn't happen."

"You're a scary dude, you know that?" Alfred said with a raised eyebrow as the bus pulled up to the station.

"I know." Ivan said cheerfully.

 **_Meanwhile, in Europe_**

"WHAT?!" England bellowed into his cell phone. Then England curled into himself as he started to cough violently.

" _My friend, you must calm down. Think about your health._ " France said with a sigh.

"No!" England wheezed. "What on earth do you mean he and Russia are dating?! Have you finally lost your tiny froggy mind?"

" _Non, I have not."_ France huffed. " _I have been following them all day, and it is obvious! I have not seen them fight once since I spotted them going into the museum. In fact, they looked to be having fun with each other, and I overheard America call Russia a cutie!_ "

"Don't be daft, America would rather eat a bar of soap than call Russia cute." England said with a shake of his head.

" _I did hear America call him handsome once!"_

"When was that?"

" _When he first met him. I overheard him asking one of his diplomats who the tall, handsome guy was in the corner."_

"Well, that doesn't count." England said with a slight sniff, reaching over to the box of tissues next to his bed and blowing his nose. "That was just America describing him."

" _It still counts!"_ France defended.

"I doubt he even remembers saying that!" England said, rolling his eyes. "You're grasping at straws."

" _Is_ _that jealousy I overhear?_ " France giggled.

"You know bloody well I don't think of him like that, you arse!" England yelled. Then he started coughing again, and with a groan he leaned back against his pillows.

" _I was not referring to those feelings."_ France tsked. " _And what did I just say? You're just making your health worse by getting worked up."_

"Just talking to you is killing me." England grumbled. "Figures. And no, I am not jealous of their relationship in any way."

" _So you aren't going to play the part of the over protective older brother?"_ France asked in disbelief. " _I am shocked!"_

"I'm not going to do that because there is no reason to." England said in exasperation. "They aren't dating, so there's nothing to be protective about."

" _So if they did start dating, would you threaten Russia?"_ France asked curiously.

"In the unlikely scenario that they do get together, I will put my sword up to that bastards face and threaten to take his family jewels from him." England said with a hollow laugh.

" _How ungentlemanly."_ France commented.

"I would be getting my point across. So, are you still following them?"

" _I am. I am currently in a taxi following their bus."_

"You have problems. I'm sure they've noticed you by now, and if they were in a relationship they would be hiding it with you around."

" _Ah, but I'm not the only one following them around! I'm just following the bus until my back up arrives!"_

"I am afraid to ask, but who did you drag into your weird stalking game?"

" _Funny you should ask. I met him at the museum earlier."_

 **_Back in New York_**

"Ah, warm air!" Alfred sighed happily as they walked into a small shop.

"You really cannot stand the cold weather, can you?" Ivan asked in amusement as he pulled the door closed behind them.

"Nope," Alfred said cheerfully, chuckling as his glasses fogged up. Pulling them off, he took the edge of his shirt and cleaned them. Russia watched him curiously.

"Why do you wear those?" Ivan asked. "I know for a fact you don't need them."

"Because they're cool!" Alfred laughed as he put his glasses back on. "Plus, I feel like Superman when I wear them! Cause you know, I live a double life and have super-strength and all that jazz."

"Ah, your silly super heroes." Ivan said, shaking his head in amusement. "I had almost forgotten that you were obsessed with them."

"Always and forever." Alfred said with a grin. Then he pulled out a list and a pen out of his jacket pocket and walked towards the merchandise. "Anyways, I need to get started with picking up Christmas decorations and gifts. First things first, what do you want for Christmas?"

"Me?" Ivan asked in surprise.

"No, the rack of coats next to your elbow. Yes you!" Alfred said, rolling his eyes. "Do you really think that I'd let you into my house without getting you anything?"

"Yes."

"Ouch, that actually hurt my feelings."

"You haven't gotten me anything since before the cold war; forgive me for not expecting anything." Ivan pointed out.

"Well, you haven't sent me anything either." Alfred huffed as he examined a box of ordainments shaped like candy canes.

"I suppose not." Ivan sighed, glancing around at the decorations around him. Most of them were very obnoxious looking.

"You didn't answer my question, what do you want?" Alfred asked again, glancing up at Ivan from the box he was holding.

Ivan thought for a moment. "I don't usually receive gifts, except from my sisters. And I do not think I need anything. I am not sure to be honest."

"Nooo!" America groaned, running his hands down his face. "Don't do this."

"What?" Russia asked in confusion. "What am I doing?"

"You're going to be one of those difficult people to shop for aren't you?" Alfred whined.

"Well, if it is making your life more difficult, I guess that I will be."

"You'll get coal and like it with that attitude." America huffed as he shoved the box of fake candy canes in Ivan's hands. "Hold that for me, will you?"

"You are getting these?" Ivan asked in confusion. "They are rather cheap looking."

"I don't care. It's not like anyone other than us is going to see them." Alfred said with a shrug as he browsed some of the other boxes. "If you don't like them go pick something else out. But nothing that's glass."

"Why not?"

"Hero climbs into the tree every year, and knocks the ordainments out of the tree. I don't want to buy something that's just going to break and get glass in my carpet."

"The carpet would soften the fall, would it not?" Ivan asked as he scanned the shelves.

"Not always." Alfred sighed. "Just get something that's hard to break."

"Of course." Ivan said.

They spent a few minutes quietly picking out things, with Alfred handing Ivan box's of small round ordainments of different colors, and Ivan picking out fake snowflakes and icicles.

"I've been meaning to ask you something." Alfred said as he handed Ivan another box.

"Hmm?"

"This thing our boss made us do isn't going to disrupt your Christmas celebrations with your sisters, is it?"

"No, it will not." Russia said with a frown. "I do not usually celebrate until the 7th of January, so it will not ruin those plans. It did ruin my New Years plan though."

"Oh, sorry." Alfred said.

"It is not your fault." Ivan said with a shrug. "And it was only a government ball anyways. I am actually happy that I do not have to attend. They are rather dull, and everyone gets too drunk anyways."

"Well, we should go watch the ball drop." Alfred offered. "I go every year, and sometimes my bro joins me if he doesn't have any plans. I'm afraid it still has drunk people attending, but the atmosphere is much livelier."

"I wouldn't say no. But only if there is vodka involved." Ivan said with a small smirk.

"You'll have to get your vodka then." Alfred said as they made their way over to the next aisle. "Anyways, what should I get the others?" Alfred asked with a frown as he looked at his list of names.

"Who is on your list?" Ivan asked as he grabbed a nearby shopping cart and put the ordainments into it.

"I still need to get Italy, Germany, England, and Finland something."

"Get Finland a sweater."

"But he always gets sweaters!" Alfred protested. "I'm sure when he opens his closet he gets buried in them.

"But he likes them."

"And I like hoodies, but I don't need a hundred of them!"

"Heavy metal music?"

"He probably has every heavy metal band's music already."

"I highly doubt that."

"No, I'm pretty sure about that. I overheard Denmark complaining that he couldn't find any CD's Finland didn't already have."

"What about sauna supplies?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot that he likes those!" Alfred said happily, scribbling down a note next to Finland's name. "What do people bring to saunas?"

"I do not know. I do not like them." Ivan admitted. "They are too hot for my liking."

"I guess I could get him some shower stuff and towels." Alfred said with an unsure frown. "I think you have to take a shower before you get in them, so that could be helpful." Walking down another aisle with soap products, he looked around at all the different soaps and shampoos with a helpless expression. "Uh…"

"What is the problem?" Ivan asked.

"Well, there are a lot of different scents to pick from, and I don't know what he likes. What should I get him?"

"Well, seeing it is a Christmas gift, why don't you get him some peppermint scented things?" Ivan said as he pointed at a few bottles.

"Nah, everyone's sick of peppermint stuff by the time New Year's rolls around." Alfred said with a shake of his head. "I was thinking one of those all in one bottles in green apple or strawberry."

"All in one?"

"Yeah, you know. Like its shampoo, conditioner, and body wash all in one."

"That sounds impractical." Ivan scoffed. "How can you have shampoo and conditioner in one bottle? You have to use those separately for them to work."

"No you don't." Alfred said. "I've been using two in one for ages and it's always worked well for me."

"But how do you get your hair soft?" Ivan asked in irritation. "Wouldn't the conditioner get washed out due to the shampoo?" Then Ivan leaned over and patted America's head. "As I thought, your hair is not very soft."

"It doesn't need to be soft, it just needs to be clean!" Alfred huffed, pushing Ivan's hand off his head. "And stop touching me! You've been very touch happy today, it's getting annoying."

"But you have such fun reactions. And I stand by what I said. Separate bottles are better." Ivan said with a smirk, poking Alfred's side, making Alfred jump away from Ivan with a yelp.

"Quit that!" Alfred snapped, swatting at Ivan's hand.

"Not until you agree with me." Ivan said with a grin, quickly poking Alfred's other side. Alfred ran behind the shopping cart, glowering at Ivan. Snatching one of the ordainment boxes, he held it above his head. "I swear, if you don't cut that out I will throw these snowflakes at your face."

"You are no fun." Ivan giggled as he grabbed two bottles and put them into the cart. "And you should get two separate ones."

"Whatever, just stop poking me." Alfred huffed as he threw the snowflakes back into the cart. After picking out a few more things, Alfred looked back down at his list. "Okay, I need to pick something up for England next."

"How about a cook book?"

"Good god man, are you trying to kill us all?" Alfred asked, his face going pale. "I want to live to see the next century you know."

"I was talking about a baking book." Ivan explained. "Not everything England makes is bad you know. He's good at those tea snacks of his."

"Oh yeah." America said with a frown. "It's been awhile since he's invited me over, and he never takes his tea with me around, so I forgot. I think he's afraid it's going to offend me or something."

"Don't you like sweet tea?" Ivan asked. "Why doesn't he make you that?"

"He never makes it right." Alfred said with a scowl. "For a known tea lover, he sure sucks at understanding that you need to let sugar dissolve before you chill it. The sweet tea he makes is like drinking pure sugar. It's gross."

"Why don't you drink hot tea?"

"I mean…" Alfred said, glancing around them unsurely, "It's not terrible, but everyone just assumes that I don't like it because of that whole Boston tea party thing. I actually do like tea, it's just no one offers me any and anytime I do try to make it everyone overreacts. Just don't tell anyone, or else they'll lose their minds and England will start crying."

"Why would England start crying?" Russia asked with a confused frown.

"Because it used to be my favorite drink before the revolution. Especially the tea he made." Alfred said with a sigh. "I would never tell him now, but I kind of miss it sometimes. But like I said, he hasn't offered me a cup of tea in years, unless you count the times he's poured it over my head."

"Why not buy him some tea with the cook book then. You could ask him to make you a cup then."

"NO!" Alfred yelled in a panic, his eyes filling with terror. He heard nearby people go quiet and turning to stare at them, and he quietly grabbed Ivan's sleeve and dragged him to the closest empty isle. "No." Alfred said more calmly, but Ivan noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. "No, that wouldn't work. Just… can we stop talking about this?"

"Da…" Ivan agreed, studying the younger nation with a slightly concerned frown.

Alfred noticed he was still holding Ivan's sleeve, and he retracted his hand from it like he had been burned. "Sorry." Alfred said with a shaky laugh. "Hey, why don't we focus on Italy now? I'll go get England a cookbook later."

"How about pasta?" Ivan asked.

"I'm sure he would like that, but that's too predictable." Alfred said with a slight shake of his head. "I really wanted to get him and his brother a couple of bottles of California wine, but I'm too young to buy it."

"I could buy it for you." Ivan offered.

"You would walk into a liquor store to buy wine and not vodka?" Alfred said with an amused scoff. "Yeah, that wouldn't stir up some panic. China might start telling the rest of the world that we're all doomed."

"I never said that I would not be buying vodka as well." Ivan said with a chuckle.

"Normally, I would say that would work, but Italy and Romano don't like cheaper wine, and it would it insult them if I got them anything but my best stock. And we can't buy the wine in this store anyways." Alfred said with a small smirk. "Have you ever heard of Screaming Eagle Winery?"

"I have not, but I do think the name suits you."

"Let's just say that they make some of the most expensive and arguably best wine in my country. Not to mention that you have to sign up on a waiting list for about a decade before you can even buy it. Luckily, I did sign up years ago, and it should be shipped to me before my Christmas party. Unluckily for me, it's being sent to my California house. So it's most likely going to be stuck there until after New Years."

"But this is New York. Surely you can buy it somewhere?" Ivan asked.

"Yeah, about that." Alfred said with a slight grimace. "The problem is that the only way to get that brand is to either go to eat at one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, or somehow find someone who would willingly sell it to you at a raised price. And by raised price I mean 'Holy shit that costs more than my soul' kind of raised price."

"Why not get the brothers something slightly cheaper and easier to get?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Alfred asked with a huff, walking over to a display of fake Christmas trees. "They want nothing but my best. Not to mention that I'm a new comer to the wine thing. It's only been a few decades since my wine has gotten any kind of recognition from the world, and the Italian brothers have been involved in the process for hundreds of years. Ever since that wine tasting thing in 1976 all of Europe has expected me to serve them nothing but the best. Hell, France tried to take my head for my wine winning over his, he was so mad. It would be kind of embarrassing to offer them anything less now."

"I see." Ivan said with a nod. "When did you want to get the wine?"

"As soon as possible." America said, studying the price tags in front of him. "I need to get it before it's sold out. It doesn't take long for collectors to get their hands on the bottles, and they usually make good Christmas presents for the rich."

"And do you know a good restaurant that serves it?" Ivan asked thoughtfully.

"Yeah, a few. Why?" Alfred asked.

"Why don't we go out to dinner tonight? We could order two bottles and have a nice meal at the same time." Ivan suggested. Alfred whipped around and looked at Ivan like he had two heads.

"What?!" Alfred asked, his mouth hanging open. "Do you have any freaking idea how hard it is to get into those kind of restaurants?! I don't own anything nice enough to wear to a dinner like that! Not to mention that I would be dropping thousands of dollars by doing that, and may I remind you I'm not old enough to order alcohol?!" 

"I would order the wine." Ivan said with a slight shrug. "And I have connections here, I could get us in tonight."

"Connections in New York?!" Alfred asked in disbelief. "With who, may I ask?"

"The Russian mafia. I am sure they could pull some strings for me. They owe me a few favors anyway."

"Of course you would have connections to them." Alfred said with a slight eye twitch. "And of course they would. You know what? I don't even want to know. Sure, why not!" He said, throwing his hands up in defeat. "What could go wrong? Might as well get them to drive us there as well while you're at it."

"I can arrange that."

"I was being sarcastic!" Alfred shouted, throwing a box of ordainments at Ivan's head, which he dodged easily. "No way in hell you're inviting them to my front door! If my government ever caught wind of what we are talking about right now they'd probably have a heart attack."

"I was only trying to be helpful." Ivan said defensively as he picked up the thrown box. "And keep your voice down."

"Yeah, yeah." Alfred grumbled. "But that still doesn't mean I own a nice suit."

"You do not have an appropriate suit?" Ivan asked.

"I don't exactly like suits. The only time I wear something nice is when I go to the world conference, and that's a work suit. I don't have anything fancy to wear to dinner with me right now! I wasn't expecting us to go to dinner like that." Alfred argued. "Do you even have a suit ready for an expensive dinner?

"Da, I do."

"Why?" Alfred asked in disbelief.

"You can never be too prepared." Ivan said with a shrug.

"Okay, you know what? Fine. Why not, I have nothing planned for tonight. We'll have to stop by a suit shop after we're done here, but why not?! This won't come back to bite us in the ass in any way! But don't come crying to me when my government swoops in and chews us out because of this crazy plan. If they even get a whiff of what we're up too we're both going to be in trouble. The only reason I'm doing this is because Italy has been hinting about that wine for years now, and I really want those bottles."

"Excellent." Ivan said with a large smile. "Have you picked out a tree yet?"

"No, because I've been arguing with you for the last few minutes!" Alfred took a deep breath, and turned back to face the trees. "You know what, that one will do." Alfred said as he pointed at the nearest box. "If you grab that one, we can go. I don't even want to be here anymore. If I keep talking to you, you're going to make me want to blow up the moon again."

"You were so close too." Ivan said with a disappointed sigh, picking up the box and following the steaming American to the check out. "Such a shame."

As they walked down the aisle arguing, Japan came out from behind one of the shelves with a frown. He hadn't expected America to agree to dinner with Russia so quickly. Although, if America had really wanted those bottles so bad it made sense. He narrowed his eyes as he watched Russia poke America again, making the younger nation yell at him. He was sure Russia was up to something, but he didn't know what just yet. But Russia never did anything without a reason, and he was sure his friend was going to suffer for it. No, this would not do. Not at all.

Japan pulled out his cell phone and shot France a quick text about what was going on, and then slipped out a side door, pulling his hood over his head and covering his face with a scarf. He was confident he hadn't been spotted yet, but he couldn't take the front door just in case they spotted him. He didn't want to be spotted by America just yet. However, he did want to confront Russia. He would wait until Russia was alone before reveling himself, get the answers he wanted, and let Russia know that he had his eyes on him. All he had to do was wait.

 **_LineBreak_**

"Oh, Japan has texted me!" France said excitedly, pulling out his phone and reading over the text message eagerly.

"What's he said?" Canada asked curiously from the other end of the couch, where he had been reading. They were currently in France's hotel room.

"He says that Russia has asked America out to dinner at a fancy restaurant and that America has agreed!" France exclaimed, jumping up from the chair he had been sitting in and giggling madly. "This is it! This is when I get my proof! They are going on a date!" As France ran out of the room and towards his bedroom, Canada sighed. Oh dear, France was at it again.

"Did he actually say it was a date?" Canada yelled over the banging in France's room.

"Non, but what else could it be?!" France asked with a huff, sticking his head out his doorway. "A friendly meal?! Non! If that were the case, America would have taken him to one of his favorite diners!"

"How will you even follow them?" Canada asked in exasperation as France's head was pulled back into the bedroom. "If it is an expensive place to eat it would hard for you to get in."

"Silly boy! I am Francis Bonnefoy! I am a well know critic! Any restaurant in New York would let me eat there in a heartbeat!" France said with a smirk as he walked out of his room holding a small camera and a dress suit.

"And if they spot you they'll probably get annoyed." Canada said with a shake of his head.

"Personal safety means nothing if it means I get the evidence I need!" France practically sung. "I will prove everyone wrong, just you see!"

"Do you even know which restaurant they're going to?"

"Japan is working on that!" France said with a wave of hand.

"Did you tell England yet?" Canada asked curiously.

"I have not! But he said I was wrong, so he most likely wouldn't believe me if I told him. Non, I will wait until I have my proof." France said with a wide grin.

"Good luck with that." Canada said with a shake of his head, and went back to reading his book.

Just then, France's phone binged. Looking down at his text, France gasped. "Oh my! America and Russia are heading to a suit shop! This is getting serious!"

"Really?" Canada asked in a bored tone.

"I must get ready immediately! I have to be ready at a moment's notice!" And with that, France raced back into his room.

 _ **A/N:**_ **Things are starting to pick up! And I'll be adding more and more nations as they world meeting date approaches. What will Japan do?! What will France do?! What will happen with Russia and America?! What is the rest of the world thinking?! Find out next chapter! Comments welcome!**


	7. Of suits and ice-cream (Day 4)

Alfred was in a bad mood. Actually, now that he thought about it, he'd had been in a rather foul mood for the last week. But regardless, he was in a particularly foul mood after they had left the suit shop. He didn't usually like clothes shopping in the first place, but shopping for formal wear had always been a nightmare. And that afternoon's suit fitting had been as bad as he remembered. His personal space had been invaded by an older gentlemen whose breath smelled like it had never met a toothbrush, and he had been poked and prodded by pins and the old man's fingers as he had been fitted. That and Russia kept making "clever" remarks about his weight, and they had gotten into another fight.

When they had returned home Alfred had sulked in his room for a few hours to heal his bruised pride, but eventually he dragged himself into the bathroom to get ready for that night. He was currently staring at his reflection with a scowl on his face. He was wearing his new black suit with a red and blue stripped tie, and he had just finished combing his hair back, but still had his cowlick sticking up. To put it simply, he looked elegant, and he hated it.

He had always preferred a more relaxed look, and when he wore clothes like this he couldn't help but feel like a rich asshole. Well, not that he wasn't rich. He was, but he didn't like dressing the part. He preferred to hang out with his citizens like a common Joe. Although England had always disapproved of that-

Alfred shook his head. No, he didn't need to let his mind wander down that road. Sighing, he made his way out of the bathroom. Hero immediately tried to run over to him, but Alfred had to prod Hero back with his shoe. "No Hero, the last thing I need is white cat hair on my new suit."

"Maybe we should have picked out something a little lighter." Ivan commented with a frown. He was sitting at the bar, his phone lying next to him with the directions to get to the restaurant. He was dressed in a dark grey suit with a plain black tie, but he had his white scarf still around his neck as usual. "I forgot about the fact you had a white cat."

"It's fine, I look terrible in white anyways." Alfred said, glancing down at his watch. "I think it's time we head out. Are you sure we can get into the restaurant?" He asked, chewing nervously on his bottom lip. "I mean, this is a super last minute thing."

"Do not worry about that." Ivan said with a cold smile. "My friends assured me that we would be in good hands tonight. There should be no trouble. And if there is…let's just say that I'll deal with it." He said, patting his coat were he usually hid his pipe.

"Well, that wasn't terrifying." Alfred muttered as he made his way over to the door. Hero meowed sadly, following Alfred.

"I'm sorry little fatty man." Alfred cooed as he grabbed his coat off of the table. "I promise I'll cuddle you when I get home."

"I still fail to see how calling him a fatty is endearing." Ivan commented, making his way to the door as well.

"It's meant with love, and that's all that matters." Alfred said with a laugh as he put on his gloves and opened the door.

They made their way down to the lobby, and to Russia's surprise and delight, Greg was nowhere to be seen. Instead, an older lady was reading a book at the desk. Ivan recognized her from a few days ago. Hearing them approach, she looked up and her eyes instantly landed on Alfred.

"Alfred dear!" She said with a delighted gasp. "Why, look at you! Where are you going at such an hour dressed like that?"

"Mrs. Carol!" Alfred said with a laugh, heading over to the desk and hugging the lady with a big smile. "It's been awhile!"

"Let me get a look at you." She said, taking a step back to look Alfred up and down. "Wait, don't tell me! You're on a date with a pretty girl!" She said with a cheeky grin.

Alfred's face flushed, and he shook his head with an embarrassed laugh. "Uh, no. Actually I'm-"

"Oh!" Mrs. Carol said, spotting Russia, who had been awkwardly standing in the corner of the room. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you swung that way. I didn't mean to assume."

"NO!" Alfred squawked, his face now burning red, franticly waving his hands. "He's a work friend of mine! It's not like that at all! We're going to a business dinner is all!"

Russia just buried his face into his scarf and desperately wished the floor would swallow him as the lady started to apologize again.

"Oh my, I'm sorry! But Alfred, you can't blame me for thinking that dear. You never bring any girls around. Me and Greg have been having our suspicions you know."

"Greg?" Ivan asked in horror, his face falling.

"This," Alfred said quickly, "is Greg's wife. They run this place together."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Mrs. Carol said cheerfully, giving Russia a small wave, which he awkwardly returned. "And you must be Ivan! Yes, my husband mentioned that he met you the other day. Look at you! You're just as tall as he said you were, and quite handsome as well!"

"Um, thank you." Ivan said, his cheeks turning slightly pink at the compliments.

"I'm sorry, we have to get going!" Alfred interrupted, much to Ivan's relief. "Reservations and all that, we can't be late."

"Oh yes! Well, you two have a fun night!" Mrs. Carol said with a soft smile. "And don't forget that I expect you to join me next week at our usual time. And don't forget your gloves this time! Greg said that you stretched his pair out."

"I'll buy him a new pair." Alfred said, pushing Ivan towards the door. "I'll get them to you tomorrow if I can. Okay, gotta go! Bye!" and with that, they both hurried out onto the street.

"She was…interesting." Ivan commented, looking mildly disturbed.

"She's a bit lively, I'll admit." Alfred said with an awkward chuckle. "But that's why most of the people in the apartments like her."

"What did she mean by usual time and gloves?" Ivan asked as Alfred flagged down a taxi.

"Oh, I volunteer at soup kitchens a few times a month." Alfred said with a smile. "She runs one, so I stop by once a month to help with the heavy lifting."

"That is nice of you." Ivan said in surprise, staring down at the younger nation in confusion.

"Well, you don't have to sound so surprised." Alfred huffed, glaring up at Ivan. "I've been volunteering at them for about a hundred years now."

"But I've never heard you mention it before."

"Why should I?" Alfred asked as the taxi pulled up.

"I thought as the self proclaimed hero you are you would have been telling everyone about it." Ivan said with a shrug.

"I don't do it to brag about it, and I don't do it to make myself look better. I do it to help people. And real heroes don't make themselves look better by using people less fortunate than them to look better. I'm not heartless you know." Alfred explained as he opened the taxi doors.

"I see." Ivan muttered thoughtfully.

" Now get in, we're going to be late!" Alfred said impatiently, motioning for Ivan to get a move on.

"Da."

 **_LineBreak_**

"Are you sure this is the place?" France asked with a frown, looking up from his menu to look around the room again. They were in a large room with dark rich oak floor boards and light cream colored walls. They were sitting at a small table with a white table cloth covering it, with a small display of blue and yellow flowers in the center. They had been seated next to one of the many large windows that lined the walls, looking over the city sky line. The lights in the room were dimmed so that they could look out the windows without the glare interfering with the view. Around them were about twenty or more so tables, most of which were full of rich looking business men or older couples, dressed in their finest evening wear quietly chatting. Some waiters were walking past with food, while some others were going around the room pouring out wine.

"I am sure." Japan confirmed with a frown of his own. They had arrived at the restaurant about a half an hour ago, but Russia and America had yet to arrive. They had already ordered their drinks, but hadn't ordered anything to eat, much to the displeasure of their waiter.

"Do you think they changed their plans?" France asked worriedly, checking his watch again.

"I don't think so." Japan said. "I overheard Russia make the reservations this afternoon outside of the suit shop. I doubt they would be able to change their plans so quickly."

"Why was he outside the building?"

"He and America started arguing in the shop about something, and America kicked him out of the store."

"Ah, I see. But are you sure you weren't spotted?" France asked, tapping the side of his wine glass nervously. "Maybe they found out that we are following them."

"I am sure I was not spotted." Japan reassured. "If Russia had spotted me, he would have let me know."

"Let you know how?"

"By most likely walking right up to me and threatening me."

"How scary! To think America would fall in love with someone like him. Perhaps he is attracted to people with an opposite personality than him?" He pondered.

"Why do you believe that they are in love?" Japan asked, giving France a questioning look.

"It is quite obvious. They have been having sexual tension for years." France scoffed, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "The worst part is that neither of them realizes it yet, so they fight to try and sort out their feelings."

"Do you really think that?" Japan asked doubtfully. "Wouldn't it be more likely that they fight because they don't like each other?"

"I suppose so, but I just have a feeling that's not the case." France explained with a smirk. "My feelings are rarely wrong you know."

Japan didn't reply, just shook his head disapprovingly.

"You do not agree?" France asked in surprise. "I thought you also enjoyed pairing the other nations together."

"Well," Japan said with a slight blush, "I will not deny that I do, but I cannot see Russia and America working out. I believe Russia is up to something, but I have no proof to support my suspicions."

France laughed, shaking his head at Japan's words. "What would he be up too? He's clearly on America's turf, and I'm sure America and his government is keeping a close eye on him. He would have to be rather foolish to try anything."

"Like falling in love with America?" Japan asked, letting some of his bitterness bleed out into his words. France's eyebrows shot up in surprise at Japan's tone, and he studied Japan for a second. Then a large smile started to grow on his face.

"Oh?" He asked, leaning towards Japan with a knowing grin. "Am I mistaken, or is that jealously I hear?"

Japan sputtered for a second, and then he furiously shook his head. "No, of course not! I am just worried about America is all! America can be oblivious sometimes, so I am just making sure Russia does not do anything!"

"Of course, of course." France said with a chuckle, leaning back into his chair. "You are a good friend, but I think America can handle himself. He's not as dumb as he looks you know."

"I know." Japan sighed, picking up his menu again.

"Did you bring your camera?" France asked, pulling out his own disposable camera from his jacket.

"I am using my phone." Japan explained. "I thought bringing a camera would attract unwanted attention."

"Not as much as you would think." France said with a shrug, pocketing the camera. "This is New York, it is not unusual for tourists to carry them."

"Excuse me." A waiter asked as he walked up to the two nations with a nervous glance at France. "Are you ready to order?"

"Ah, I suppose I am." France said with a wink. "But I cannot seem to make up my mind tonight, so I may I ask what your personal favorite dish on the menu is?"

"Me sir?" The waiter asked in surprise. "Well, I suppose that would be the oysters."

"Then I shall have those. And you may surprise me with the appetizers and dessert. The same for my friend here." France said, waving at Japan.

"Of course sir." The waiter said, putting his hand out for the menus.

"Ah, you wouldn't mind letting us keep these, would you?" France asked sheepishly, glancing at the entrance of the room.

"Sir?" The waiter asked in confusion.

"Just in case I change my mind." France explained. The waiter just shrugged his shoulders. "Very well sir." And with one last confused look, he made his way back towards the kitchens.

"Why do we need the menus?" Japan asked in confusion.

"Put them up quickly." France hissed, hiding his face behind his. "They're here! Don't let them see us."

Japan quickly hid his face as well, and they watched as the two other nations were led into the room by an older man with salt and pepper hair and a heavy Russian accent, who Japan assumed was the host. America and Russia were dressed in rather expensive dinner suits, and Japan had to admit that they both looked rather nice. But while Russia looked quite relaxed and was talking easily with the host, America was eyeing the man nervously, and holding himself rather tensely.

"What?" France gasped, staring at the duo in disbelief.

"What is wrong?" Japan asked in alarm.

"That is the owner of the restaurant!" France whispered angrily, pointing at the older man, who was now seating America and Russia at a nearby table. "When I called in tonight he wouldn't even speak to me personally, even though I'm a famous critic! How on earth did they get his attention!?"

"Maybe they had connections?" Japan offered unsurely.

"Yes, but which one has the connection to him?" France asked, eyeing the two nations jealously. "I doubt it would be America, seeing as the boy couldn't tell a salad fork from a dinner fork to save his life, but then the likely hood of Russia knowing anyone in the city is slim to none!"

They watched as Russia said something to the owner in Russian, making the man laugh loudly. They saw America looking between the two men with a confused expression, and then the owner handed them two menus and with a slight bow, he walked back towards the kitchens. America started to ask Russia something, but Russia just shook his head at whatever America was asking.

"Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that conversation." France fumed. "I wish they had been seated closer to us. What on earth are could they be talking about?!"

 **_AlfredandRussiaPOV_**

"So, that was the head of-" Alfred started to ask, but Ivan quickly shook his head, holding out a hand to cut off Alfred.

"The only reason you were allowed through those doors with me was because he is under the impression you have no idea who he is." Ivan warned. "Do not ask any questions while we are here, because the walls are always listening. If you wish to remain without bullet holes in your skull, you should probably be quiet."

"Okay, but what did you tell them about me to get me in?" Alfred asked in alarm, trying not to look around the room in a panic.

"Only that you are an important business partner of mine, and that we are here on business." Ivan explained said with a reassuring smile. "Do not worry; they will not poison your drink."

"Oh yeah, that's real comforting." Alfred hissed. "Do they poison people's drinks often enough to worry about it?!"

"Let's just say that if they knew you were getting the wine for the Italian brothers they would have likely poisoned the bottles." Ivan explained. "They don't exactly take too well with the Italian mafia, or those who know members."

"Wait, the Italian brothers are in the mafia?! Wait, don't tell me. I don't want to know. This was a bad idea." Alfred groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. "Is it too late to go home?"

"I am afraid so." Ivan said with a chuckle. "I have arranged it so that we will get the bottles on the way out, but if we leave now we would be insulting our host. It is only a dinner, my little comrade. As long as we don't make a scene we should be fine."

America sighed, and just shook his head in defeat. "Okay. But just to let you know, this is the last time I'm listening to any of your plans. Even my stupidest plans don't involve people who want to kill me handling my food. And you wanted to get them to pick us up from my house."

"It would have been cheaper than the taxi." Russia argued. "And do not worry. You are under my protection here."

"I'm going to die." Alfred groaned.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing." Ivan huffed as he opened his menu.

"Did you really just quote star wars?" Alfred asked in amusement.

"Maybe." Ivan said with a smirk.

"Hmm, I think you'd be a good Darth Vader. You certainly have the height for it." Alfred said with a small smile as he opened his menu.

"I'm afraid I don't have a deep enough voice for that role." Ivan said with a laugh. "But I think I'd be rather good as Chewbacca."

"Because you're cuddly and cute?" Alfred joked.

"No, because I like the character and I want the bowcaster he uses."

"Yeah, that thing was sweet. I would want to be Han Solo." America said with a grin.

"I could see you as Solo." Ivan agreed. "But I think you would be better as Luke. England could be Darth Vader, and you could be the son who destroys the empire."

"Wow, that makes a little bit too much sense." Alfred said in amazement. "Who would play the emperor?"

"King George."

"Yeah, that could work." Alfred snickered. "Oh, I know, China could play Yoda! You know, seeing as he's an ancient dude who keeps trying to give younger people advice." Alfred put on a serious expression. "Surrounded by dark omens you are. Nearby Russia is. Hmmm!" He mimicked, nodding his head wisely.

Ivan, who had been taking a drink from his water, choked on it as he started to laugh. "That was perfect!" He wheezed though a mixture of coughing and laughter.

"You think?" Alfred asked with a grin, as Ivan wiped off his face.

"Yes. Let me try one." Ivan said as he cleared his throat. "Alfred," he said in a deep voice, raising his hand dramatically. "I am your brother. Join me, and we can rule the burned out kitchen together!"

America started to roar with laughter, and had to cover his mouth when some of the tables around them threw them annoyed glares. America gave them an apologetic smile, but continued to chuckle. "Oh my god, that was hilarious!"

"Do you think we could get England to say that when he gets drunk again?" Ivan asked with his own grin.

"It wouldn't be the first time I got him to do something stupid while drunk." Alfred giggled. "Oh, I just had an idea. Italy and his brother could play cp3o and r2d2. They bicker enough to fit the roll."

"Would Italy be cp30 or r2d2?" Ivan asked.

"Oh, he would defiantly be cp30." Alfred said. "And his brother would be r2d2 without question. I mean, they had to censor everything that tin can said, so Lovino would be a perfect fit!"

"Who would be Princess Leia?" Russia wondered.

"Oh, defiantly Hungary." America said with a nod. "She has enough spunk to play the role. But then I guess Han Solo would be played by Prussia?"

"I could see that. He certainly has enough swagger for the part."

Just then, a waiter approached them. "Good evening gentlemen." He said coolly. "Have you decided on what to drink tonight?"

"I will have a bottle of Golden Line, and my friend here will have a glass of cider." Then Ivan paused. "Non alcoholic if you don't mind." He added.

"Very good. And have you decided on what you would like to order?"

"Steak, well done." Ivan said with a smirk, handing the menu back to the waiter. The waiter raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"I'll have the steak as well, medium well." Alfred said giving Ivan a judging look as the waiter took his menu.

"Very well. Your dinner will be out shortly." And with a final nod, the waiter left.

"You disgust me." Alfred said, glaring at Ivan, who just smiled. "Who the hell orders a steak well done?"

"Is that so unusual?" Ivan asked innocently.

Alfred paused, then he narrowed his eyes at the older nation, who kept innocently looking back at him. "You're doing this on purpose aren't you?"

"Doing what?"

"You know what. You're doing this to bug me." Alfred said in an accusing tone.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"So you didn't just order a tough chewy steak to mess with me, but because you like it?"

"What's wrong with a steak being well done?" Ivan asked, tilting his head slightly to the side, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"You can't be serious."

"I am very serious."

"That cow died in vain." Alfred said mournfully. "To think good meat would be wasted on someone who likes meat cooked well done."

"I assure you, it is not a big deal."

"Lies! Meat is supposed juicy and tender, not taste like leather!"

"But it lasts longer when it is more chewy." Ivan explained. Alfred looked like he was about to cry, and then hung his head in defeat.

"How could this happen?" He asked in horror as Ivan just watched in amusement.

"I had no idea you were so passionate about food." Ivan commented.

"Dude, I love food! Of course I'm passionate about it!" Alfred said, looking up at Ivan with a fiery look in his eyes. "Food is awesome! But what's not awesome is ruining food! Like cooking a steak well done!"

"You mean like putting marshmallows in a casserole?" Ivan asked as the waiter placed their drinks on the table.

"Are you dissing my sweet potato casserole?" Alfred asked with an offended gasp. The waiter wisely decided he wanted no part of their conversation and hurried away.

"Not at all, I am simply saying that you make less than rational decisions when it comes to combing food sometimes." Ivan said easily.

"No I don't." Alfred denied.

"Peanut butter and Jelly?"

"That's a classic."

"Chicken and waffles?"

"Savory and sweet."

"Root beer?"

"How dare you."

"Easy cheese?"

"Amazing."

"Spam?"

Alfred paused. "Yeah, okay. I'll let you have that one. But the rest of those are really good!"

Ivan just shook his head. "I do not think you should be telling anyone how to eat."

"But-"

Ivan looked Alfred straight in the eyes. "Donut Burgers."

"Once. I eat that _once_ and no one lets me forget." Alfred said with a pout. "And come on, everyone knows that well done steaks are the worst. You can ask anyone! Well…except maybe England."

"I suppose we will have to agree to disagree." Ivan said with a shrug as the waiter returned with their salads.

"Never."

 **_FranceandJapan'sPOV_**

France was frustrated. He and Japan had been there for two hours and four courses, and they hadn't gotten any closer to getting any solid evidence they needed. In fact, it seemed to France that America and Russia were doing everything except acting romantic, much to his dismay. They were just talking, laughing, or bickering every now and then, but nothing that he could say for sure was intimate. He glumly watched as they were served their ice cream, and America getting excited over the amount of sauce was on his dessert.

Glancing over at his partner, he noticed that Japan didn't look too upset about the outcome of the evening. In fact, much to France's annoyance, Japan looked quite happy with how they were acting.

"You are looking rather pleased." France grumbled as he pushed away his own dessert, too upset to eat anything else.

"Do I?" Japan asked in surprise. "Well, I must admit I am pleased in a way. It doesn't seem like Russia is up to anything, so I don't have to worry about America anymore."

"Good for you, mon ami." France huffed. "As for myself, I could not be more disappointed."

"Oh?"

"It seems that I may have been wrong." France sighed, watching the other nations with a disappointed sigh. "It is a hard pill to swallow, but I must admit defeat." France waved at a nearby waiter for the check, and then turned to face Japan again. "I suppose this means you can now chase America freely."

Japan chocked on his mousse. "What!?" He asked in alarm.

"Come, come!" France said with a click of his tongue. "Do not lie to big brother France. I know you only followed America because you have some sort of feeling for him. Maybe not enough to act upon, but enough to make you wear your emotions on your sleeves. Green is not a good color on you."

"He is my friend, nothing more." Japan denied, a frown growing on his face.

"If you say so." France said with an unconvinced shake of his head. Glancing back at the other table, his eyes grew wide. "Oh Mon Dieu!" France said excitably, quickly grabbing his camera out of his pocket. Confused, Japan looked over at the table and he felt his mouth drop. He watched as Russia leaned in towards America, a smirk on his face, and America slightly blushing. Then America smirked back, and scooping a bit of ice-cream on his spoon, he put it on Russia's nose, leaving an ice-cream mark. America laughed as Russia went crossed eyed in confusion.

"Perfect!" France cackled, clicking away. "Just a few more like these and everyone will believe me!"

Japan watched in horror as Russia laughed, wiping the ice-cream off of his face and asking a passing waiter for the check.

"I was not wrong." France said gleefully. "We have to follow them! Waiter!" France said excitably.

Japan couldn't help but feel dread as he watched America and Russia getting up from the table, making their way towards the exit. It couldn't be…it could never happen…could it?

 **_AmericaandRussiaPOV_**

"You did not have to put ice cream on my face to prove your point you know." Ivan chuckled as they made their way towards the exit.

"Well, that's what you get for saying that ice cream sucks." Alfred said, sticking his tongue out at Ivan. "If you weren't so smug about it I wouldn't have done it."

"I just said Italian ice is better." Ivan said in exasperation.

"Wrong." Alfred said.

"And who puts cherry sauce on top of ice-cream?" Ivan asked as they were approached by the owner, who was holding two boxes in his hands.

"Me, that's who. I don't like having chocolate sauce every time you know. Although the candles on the table did make it look really tasty. The whole bowl turned pink due to the reflection."

"It made you look positively pink. You looked silly."

"You're just jealous that my complexion is better than yours." Alfred said with a grin.

Ivan rolled his eyes as the owner caught up to them.

"There you are." He said with a sly grin, handing Ivan the two boxes. "I am rather sorry to see these go, but I suppose that is just business." He glanced at Alfred with a knowing smirk. "Aren't you a little young to be here?"

Ivan was about to speak up, but the owner held up a finger. "Ivan, the boy is old enough to speak for himself." He said with a dangerous look at Alfred. "Right, boy?"

"Yes, I am." Alfred said smoothly, giving the man his famous Hollywood smile.

"I do not think Ivan explained what business you are in together." The owner said casually, but his eyes never left Alfred's. "Would you mind telling me?"

Ivan stiffened slightly, and his eyes quickly snapped to the other nation worriedly as Alfred reached into his jacket, still smiling.

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Alfred asked cheerfully. Then to everyone's surprise, he pulled out a business card and handed it to the owner. "Names Alfred Jones, and I'm currently a home designer. Ivan's been looking for a house here in New York and I've been trying to hook him up."

"Oh?" The owner said, reading the card with interest.

"Yeah, I've been letting him stay at my place while he's house hunting, as a favor for a friend. He insisted on taking me out to dinner to repay me." Alfred said with a shrug.

"Well, a friend of Ivan's is a friend of mine." The owner said with a chuckle, putting the card into his front pocket. "I hope to see you both again." He gave them a final nod and then walked off. Ivan felt himself releasing the breath he had been holding, and he pushed Alfred out the door as fast as he could without making it look suspicious. As soon as they had gotten into the elevator, Ivan turned on Alfred.

"Why," Ivan asked with a hint of anger in his voice, glaring down at the younger nation, "did you tell him your real name, and the fact that I am rooming with you?"

"The best lies have a sprinkle of truth in them." Alfred said with a shrug. "This isn't my first time dealing with mobs you know, so I had a cover ready."

Ivan stared at Alfred for a second, before letting out a relived laugh. "I see your cold war tendencies haven't dulled."

"Nope." Alfred said with a smug grin. "And if he really wants to check up on what I said, he'd find I was telling the truth. Even the thing about being a home designer is real. I actually was one a few years ago, so if he tries to dig up anything on that he'll find some lovely decorated apartments sprinkled around the city. Plus, you wanted them to come to my apartment in the first place, so don't act so mad."

"I wouldn't have given them your real name." Ivan said in exasperation. "And telling them I'm rooming with you might get you in trouble."

"I doubt that. And it's not like I'm a threat to them in any way." Alfred scoffed. "I'm a freaking home designer to them. What am I going to do, threaten to redecorate their living rooms in a lovely shade of blue?"

"Why were you even a home designer?" Ivan asked in bewilderment.

"I got bored, needed a hobby." Alfred said with a shrug.

"So why does your apartment look so ugly?" Ivan asked with a chuckle.

"Okay, screw you. I like my apartment!" Alfred said with a laugh, playfully pushing Ivan. "Anyways, how about we get out of these monkey suits and order a pizza. This place didn't have nearly large enough servings to fill me up."

"I know, that steak was too small." Ivan grumbled. "What is it with fancy restaurants and having super small food?"

"Man, I have no idea." Alfred said as they reached the bottom floor.

 **_FrancePOV_**

France hummed as he walked into his hotel room, pulling his tie off and throwing it over the side of the couch. Canada looked up from the armchair where he had been watching a movie and saw that France was looking through his phone with a grin.

"Have a good hunt?" Canada asked with a yawn.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" France said with a smirk, taking off his coat and walking towards the fridge with a happy whistle.

"I don't think I want to." Canada sighed, turning the T.V. on mute. "Where's Japan?"

"He said he wasn't feeling rather well, and decided to head back to his hotel." France said with a shake of his head. "Unfortunately for him he couldn't find any malicious intent from Russia to America, so it was a bit of a wasted trip for him. He was most disappointed."

"Well, I suppose that's good." Canada said, relaxing a bit. "Did you get what you needed?"

"Not what I thought I would." France admitted. "But I suppose so." France grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and strolling towards his room. "I'm going to be working on my power point for the meeting, so I will say goodnight."

"Night." Canada said with a wave, turning the sound back on. France quietly closed his door, then with a maniacal laugh he ran towards his computer and pulled out his camera. He downloaded the pictures, and giggled as he pulled up England's email. He was sure that he would want to be the first to know.

 **A/N: Oh me, oh my… France, what have you done? Next chapter coming soon! Comments welcome.**


	8. THEY'RE WHAT? (Day 5)

"Ivan!" Alfred yelled, banging on Ivan's door. "Wake up! It's time to set up the tree!" It was early the next morning, and Alfred was dressed in an old Christmas sweater and grey sweatpants. He also had on some warm thick socks with little snowmen on them, and was holding one of the box's of ordainments that they had picked up the day before. Unlike most mornings, he was awake and buzzing with excitement, bouncing up and down with happiness. Ivan opened his door open, eyeing the younger nation in annoyance. He was wearing just his pajama pants and an old worn out white shirt, and his hair was ruffled from sleep. He was also still wearing his scarf, much to the confusion of Alfred.

"Alfred," Ivan grumbled, "It is 7'oclock in the morning."

"And you're point is?" Alfred asked with a grin, shoving the box into Ivan's hands, which Ivan took grudgingly. Alfred spun around and walked cheerfully back towards the kitchen, gesturing for Ivan to follow him.

"I thought you were not a morning person?" Ivan yawned, following the hyper American into the kitchen, where he saw much to his relief that Alfred had already made a pot of coffee.

"It's never too early to set up a Christmas tree!" America said brightly, pointing to the Christmas box's in the living room, which were propped up in the corner of the room next to the T.V. "And I'm already late setting it up this year! I have to get a move on!"

"And why," Ivan asked as he poured himself some coffee, "do I need to help you set it up? I'm sure you are capable of doing it yourself."

"It's no fun setting it up by myself." Alfred said with a pout. "Come on, pull your weight! I've been feeding and housing your ass for the last week, you should at least help me with this!"

Ivan sighed, realizing that Alfred had a good point. "Fine." Ivan relented, and Alfred gave a small cheer, bouncing over to the boxes. Ivan watched as Alfred pulled a box cutter out of his pocket and started to open the boxes, cheerfully whistling frosty the snow man. Ivan shook his head in amusement.

"You are always so excited about Christmas." He commented, leaning against the bar and taking a sip of his coffee.

"That's because it's the best time the year!" Alfred said cheerfully, flashing his smile at Ivan. Ivan briefly wondered if Alfred's smile was naturally that white or if he bleached his teeth. Either way, it was rather shocking how bright it was. "I always feel so warm and fuzzy this time of year! I just love getting people presents and making people happy! Plus, my citizens love to go all out! They decorate like crazy, they all buy presents for each other, and everyone is nicer to each other! Not to mention all of the charities that are going on right now. Plus all the kids get excited and there are a bunch of Christmas traditions and cookies!"

"And your Christmas party." Ivan added.

"Yeah…that too." Alfred said a little less excitedly, his smile falling a bit.

"It's rather famous you know." Ivan commented, not noticing Alfred's change in behavior. "I know many of the other Nations get excited about it."

"Really?" Alfred asked happily, perking up again.

"Yes, I hear them talking about how they try to outdo each other with the gifts every year." Ivan said, rolling his eyes. "I also hear that you usually do a good job setting them up. Is it true that you're doing a secret Santa this year?"

"Uh, yeah. I am." Alfred confirmed, pulling the Christmas tree box towards the center of the room. "But since I'm the host I get everyone who attends a gift, so I'm not involved with that."

Ivan paused for a moment, a frown growing on his face. "What do you mean? Does everyone who attends give you a gift as well?"

"No, of course not!" Alfred denied quickly. "I would never force anyone to give me a gift. If they want to that's cool, but I'm just as happy if they don't want to get me anything. I'm usually happy with people showing up to my party as a gift."

"That does not seem very fair." Ivan pointed out.

Alfred just shrugged his shoulders. "A present means more if you give it willingly. A forced gift isn't much of a gift as it is an empty gesture. I'd rather receive nothing than something that was given to me out of obligation."

"Do you give out gifts every year?" Ivan asked, putting his coffee onto the bar and making his way into the living room to help Alfred.

"Well, yeah." Alfred said, starting to pull out fake branches from the box and throwing them onto the couch in different piles. As Ivan helped him, he realized that each branch had a small colored band around the end of it, which was why Alfred was separating them. As he did the same, Alfred continued. "I get almost everyone a gift. I mean, I don't get gifts for some nations because some of them don't celebrate Christmas, or they've told me personally that they don't want a gift from me."

"I see." Russia commented.

"So, do you give out presents?" Alfred asked curiously, glancing up at the taller nation.

"Da, I do." Ivan said. "I give my sisters gifts every year, and sometimes other nations if I'm friendly with them."

"Do you get gifts from them?" Alfred asked.

"Da, my sisters always get me something." Ivan said with a small smile, his hand touching his scarf gently. "My scarf was actually a present from my older sister."

"Aw, that's cute." Alfred said with a warm smile. "I wish I had a sister. I'm stuck with just brothers I'm afraid. Although I wouldn't give up Mattie for the world." Then he added with a slight laugh, "Even when he is a pain in the ass sometimes."

"I would not say having sisters is all that it is cracked up to be." Ivan said with a grimace. "While I do care deeply for them, they can be rather odd sometimes. And scary." Ivan added with a shudder.

"Mattie can be scary." Alfred commented, a disturbed expression flashing over his face.

"Canada?" Ivan asked in confusion. "Scary?"

"Hockey." America muttered cryptically. "Never again."

"Umm, okay." Ivan said awkwardly as Alfred snapped out of it, and awkwardly laughed.

"Yeah, it's a long story." He said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"It must be nice to be siblings with someone around your age." Ivan said, giving Alfred a curious look as he placed the final branch on the couch. "Although it must be weird to have someone so similar to you living next to you."

"Not at all!" Alfred said, a large grin growing on his face. "It's awesome! Since we're around the same age and like a lot of the same things, we end up getting along really well! He's my cute little bro!"

"I thought you were twins?"

"Oh, we are, but I'm defiantly older." Alfred said with a smug smirk as he pulled out the trunk of the tree and stand out of the box. "He claims he's older, but I know I am."

"Right." Ivan said in amusement as Alfred looked around the room, his face falling slightly.

"Oh, that's a problem." Alfred said worriedly. "I forgot all of the walls were taken up with stuff."

"What about behind the couch?" Ivan said, pointing to the space behind the sofa. "You could just push it forwards and move the coffee table against the T.V."

"I guess." Alfred agreed reluctantly. "But then I'm not going to be able to get at my video games, and we won't see the full length of the tree."

"Well, there's no other place to put it." Ivan said with a shrug.

"Damn it, I should have thought about that when we got the tree." Alfred grumbled as he started to move the furniture forwards. "Well, looks like it's going to be slightly more cramped in here. Hope you're cool with that."

"I do not mind." Ivan said as he took the fake trunk and stand to the newly made space and started to set them up. After the tree was set up and put the lights on, Alfred excitably started to go through the ornaments that they had bought.

"Which one's should we start with?" Alfred asked, holding up a few them so Ivan could see.

"My sisters and I always start with the icicles and snowflakes." Ivan said, picking one of the boxes with the snowflakes. "Then we add more colorful ornaments."

"That's a good idea." Alfred said with a small smile, picking up the icicles.

"And you must put them at the very tips of the branches." Ivan added. "It makes it look more like the trees in the forests."

"Aw, that's a cute idea." Alfred said. "Who thought to do that?"

"My little sister." Ivan said fondly as they started hang the ornaments. "She always said that she likes how the ice glimmers in the trees. It became a tradition after awhile."

"And the colors coming afterwards?" Alfred asked.

"That was my idea." Ivan admitted. "I always preferred the tree to have a more color in it. It makes the tree look more inviting and expressive. What ornaments do you prefer on your tree?"

"I like everything." Alfred said with a laugh. "Classic ornaments, weird ornaments, candy canes, stars, Santa's, pictures, beads, lights, anything you can think of, I've probably put on my trees."

"Nothing in particular?" Ivan asked, stretching up slightly to reach some of the higher branches.

"Well," Alfred said, looking a bit embarrassed, "I really like birds and real candy canes to be in my trees."

"Why birds?" Ivan asked with a chuckle. "Is it because you're a bird brain?"

"Ha ha." Alfred said sarcastically. "Like I haven't heard that one before. No, it's because it sort of a tradition of mine."

"How so?"

"Well, it started when I was still a colony. England would carve me a new wooden bird the years he was able to visit and give it to me as a gift. He was pretty good at stuff like that." Alfred said sadly. "After I went independent he stopped making them for me, and I started to make them myself because I missed them." Then he gave Ivan a panicked look. "For the love of all things Christmas, do not tell England. I would never live it down."

"I promise." Ivan said with a chuckle.

"Anyways, my birds never looked as good as his did, so I eventually gave up." Alfred said, crouching down to decorate the lower branches. "When Christmas trees started to get popular at my place, I started to buy birds to decorate them. I don't think England's caught on to that yet. He's probably forgotten about it. I only put a few on the tree's I decorate at my parties, but usually put a good number of them on the tree's in my own personal homes."

"Do you have enough to cover a whole tree?" Ivan asked.

"I have enough to cover at least two trees." Alfred said with a smile. "But all of them are scattered through my different homes, so I only have about ten on average depending on which house I'm spending Christmas at."

"Except here."

"Yeah, I move around New York too much to keep anything here." Alfred explained. "I keep most of them at my Texas or California home, seeing as they're the largest houses I own."

"Do you still have the birds England gave you?" Ivan asked as he started to start on a new box.

"Yeah." Alfred said. "In my original house in Virginia. But I haven't been in that house for about twenty years or so, so I forgot where I've stored them."

"And what about the candy canes?"

"Oh, that's a joke between me and Mattie." Alfred said with a shake of his head. "Each year we decorate our trees with fake candy canes and a few real ones. It's a game of sort. When we visit each over the month of December we have to find a real one from the fakes and steal it. If he notices one is missing from his tree or if I notice one missing from mine the thief has to return it to the tree. If the thief leaves before the other one notices it's gone from the tree they can eat it."

"How did that start?" Ivan asked.

"I have no idea." Alfred said with a shrug as he finished hanging the snowflakes. "It kind of just happened. I think we kept eating each other's candy canes too much, so we made a game out of it."

"That is a rather amusing tradition." Ivan said with a chuckle, finishing hanging the icicles.

"Yeah, but I'm not going to be able to steal from his tree this year." Alfred pouted. "I guess I'm just going to have to keep a look out for him stealing from mine this time."

"Did you pick up real candy canes?" Ivan asked, glancing over the box's of fakes.

"Yeah." Alfred said, pulling out one of the boxes and showing Ivan an about ten identical looking real candy canes. "But I'm only going to put five." He said with a grin, grabbing one of the candy canes and sucking on the end of it. "I like eating the others."

"May I have one?" Ivan asked, and Alfred passed him the box. "I like making them sharp at the ends."

"Oh, so do I!" Alfred said. "It's the best part!"

They both laughed, and started to hang up some of the colored ordainments around the tree. The hung the candy canes, real and fake, on the ends of branches that didn't already have a icicle or snowflake on the end, and put the round ordainments around the tree. By the time they had finished, it was around 10'oclock. The tree looked nice, and they were both satisfied with their work. But one thing was missing.

"We do not have a tree topper." Ivan said, looking rather disappointed.

"Oh, I got that covered!" Alfred said gleefully, running to his room. A moment later he ran back with a tree skirt that looked like a Santa suit and a Santa hat.

"A Santa hat?" Ivan asked as Alfred set up the skirt.

"The star got boring." Alfred said, throwing Ivan the hat. "You can reach the top of the tree, so you put it on."

"I'm honored." Ivan joked, placing the hat on top of the tree.

They both admired the finished tree, then Alfred's stomach rumbled. "Okay, I think it's time for breakfast." Alfred said, making his way into the kitchen and opening the fridge.

"I am surprised Hero is not begging for food." Ivan commented as he followed.

"Oh, I fed Hero and Milashka when I woke up." Alfred explained as pulled out some eggs, onions, ham, and peppers and put them on the counter. "God forbid I open my eyes and Hero not beg for food."

"Didn't you mention that Hero likes to climb the tree?" Ivan asked, opening up one of the cupboards and pulling out some cereal.

"Ah! That reminds me!" Alfred said, snapping his fingers and opening a drawer and pulling out a squirt bottle. "Put that on the bar would you?" he asked, handing it to Ivan. "That's for if he gets near it."

They heard a rustling noise, and looking over they saw Milashka and Hero playing in the Christmas tree box. Milashka was chewing on one of the edges, ripping off little bits of cardboard, and Hero was hiding under some of the wrapping paper in the box, his head popping in and out of sight.

"I think that'll keep them out of trouble for now." Alfred cooed, pulling his phone out of his pocket and making kissy noises. The two cats turned to look at him and he snapped a picture.

"Perfect!" Alfred said with a grin as showed Ivan the photo.

"Very cute." Ivan said, pouring out his cereal. "By the way, the meeting is tomorrow, correct?"

"Uh." Alfred groaned, turning back to the counter and pulling out a frying pan. He put it on top of the oven and turned on the burner. "Yeah. Don't remind me."

"They are not that bad." Ivan said sympathetically, but Alfred just snorted.

"Yeah, because it's so fun being the hosting nation. Not to mention that we're going to have to put up with some of the nations asking about our living arrangement and with France's rumors." He said as he cracked a couple of eggs on the side of the pan, filling the room with a sizzling noise.

Ivan just rolled his eyes. "France is always spreading rumors. It is not like we have done anything to prove him right."

"I guess." Alfred agreed, as he started to chop up some of the peppers. "It was kind of annoying of him to follow us at the museum though." Then he paused. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask you something about that."

"Hmm?" Ivan asked, looking up from his phone, where he had been reading the news.

"Did you feel like someone other than him was there that day?" Alfred asked with a frown, continuing to chop up his ingredients.

"No, I did not." Ivan said with his own frown. "After we got off the bus to that shop I did not sense anyone following us. France is not that good. If he had continued following us we would have known."

Alfred didn't say anything for a moment, and then he relaxed slightly. "I guess I was just being paranoid." He said with a laugh, tipping his ingredients into the frying pan.

"That is not a bad thing to be." Ivan said, looking back down at his phone. "And it is not like any of the other nations have any reason to spy on us. They are all to be busy preparing for the meeting tomorrow."

"I wish England would be there tomorrow to do his own speech." Alfred sighed. "I just know I'm going to get something wrong."

"It would not be the first time someone messed up." Ivan pointed out. "Many of the hosting nations mess up the facts when filling in for someone. Your own brother did not even get a chance to give your speech or his the last time he covered for you."

"Yeah, he was pretty bitter about that." Alfred said with a sad shake of his head. "I wonder what he's up to right now? I should probably give him a call later and tell him I'm not mad at him anymore."

"I am sure he is not worried about it." Ivan said.

 **_LineBreak_**

"England, you're going to have to calm dow-, I said calm down!" Canada tried to say over the hysterical Brit. France had stepped out of the hotel to get some shopping done, and Canada had the whole hotel room to himself. About an hour after France had left he had gotten a Skype call from England, and he had happily accepted it, only to be met with a hysterical England who was angrily demanding to speak to France, and blubbering something about having to save America from himself.

"IT'S SILLY I TELL YOU! THE BOY'S BEEN FIGHTING WITH THE MAN FOR THE LAST CENTURY AND HE SUDDENLY FALLS FOR HIM!? IT'S OUTRAGEOUS! CLEARLY THAT RUSSIAN HAS DONE SOMETHING TO HIM! I'M COMING OVER IMMEDIATELY AND FIXING THIS! AND WHERE THE HELL HAS FRANCE GONE?! I MUST SPEAK TO HIM AT ONCE! HE HAS SOME EXPLAINING TO DO!" England yelled, running around his room, throwing clothes into a suit case and wringing his hands worriedly.

"England!" Canada yelled, finally getting the attention of the former empire. "What on earth are you talking about? What's going on with Al?"

"You mean that perverted frog hasn't told you yet?!" England hissed angrily, snatching his phone and typing something into it. "Here. Have a look for yourself!" He spat.

Canada heard his phone ding, and he opened the text. His eyebrows shot up at the three photos England had sent him. The first one was of Russia and Al talking over a candle lit dinner, Russia leaning towards America with a smirk and what appeared to be his brother blushing. The second photo was of America smirking at Russia as he dabbed ice cream on Russia's nose, and third photo was of America and Russia laughing together. He let out a low whistle.

"That's some pretty damning evidence." Canada commented.

"DAMNING INDEED!" England shouted angrily.

"I mean, Al never combs his hair back for anyone!" Canada said in shock.

"FORGET THE HAIR, YOU IDIOT! DID YOU NOT SEE THEM ABOUT TO START SNOGGING?!" England shouted hysterically, pulling at his own hair.

"I mean, I wouldn't say they were about to kiss." Canada said. "It looked more like they were flirting."

England made a sound similar to a mouse being trodden on, and he turned around and started packing even faster than before. "No, no, no, no, no!" he muttered.

"Ok, I fail to see what the big deal is." Canada sighed. "So Al finally found someone he's interested in. Good for him! Shouldn't we be happy for them?"

"CERTAINLY NOT!" England snarled, turning back to face Canada again. "Of all the people he chose to fall in love with, it was the one nation that was going to be the most likely to break his heart some day! Oh…why couldn't it have been Japan?" England asked mournfully. "He's a good chap. He'd be good as a first love. He'd treat America with respect."

"Whoa! Japan has a thing for Al?!" Canada asked, his jaw dropping in shock.

"Well, he's never said so." England admitted reluctantly. "But he's not very fond of America taking an interest in others. For all of his work hiding his emotions, he has a hard time hiding his jealously."

"Oh my God." Canada said, reeling from all of the new information being thrown at him. "Is there anyone else that's crushing on my brother that I should know about?! And when did Al even start getting into the dating game anyways? And why wouldn't he tell me?! I'm his bro!"

"HOW SHOULD I KNOW?!" England yelled.

"Okay, let's just calm down. Have you tried asking Al what's going on?" Canada tried to reason.

"If he were dating Russia, do you really think he'd tell me?" England asked. "No, this is a face to face matter! And once I get my hands on the frog I'm going to-"

"Do what?" France asked, as he walked into the room, holding a couple of shopping bags in each hand.

"YOU!" England shrieked, pointing at the amused Frenchman. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! EXPLAIN WHAT THOSE PHOTOS MEAN AT ONCE, OR BY GOD I'M GOING TO STRANGLE YOUR SKINNY LITTLE NECK!"

"Oh?" France chuckled, putting his shopping down and walking over to sit down on the couch. He gestured for Canada to move over, and Canada made room for the older nation so they could both be in view of the camera.

"Calm yourself, Angleterre." France said soothingly. "Why are you making such a fuss? And what about your health? Surly acting this way is not good for your flu. You need to go back to bed and rest. You do yourself no favors by getting yourself into a tizzy."

"If you don't start talking this moment, I will curse all of your cheese to taste like my scones for the next hundred years." England growled.

France's face went white. "Ok, ok! You do not need to make such threats!" He said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Sheesh. All I did was follow America and Russia to one of the most expensive restaurants in New York, watch them have a nice time, see them flirt a little, and then send you pictures. Japan was with me as well, so you can verify with him that I'm telling the truth!"

"Japan was with you?" England asked in horror.

"Yes, poor thing." France sighed sadly. "He did not take it very well."

"Ok, that does it." England said, a determined look appearing in his eyes. "I'm heading over now. I'm going to put a stop to all of this nonsense." He said, slamming his suitcase shut.

"But your health!" France objected.

"MY HEALTH BE DAMNED!" England roared. "I'm going to make sure that fool doesn't make a mistake that will screw him up forever!"

"Al is an adult! He can make his own decisions!" Canada argued.

"He has never been in this situation before! He's going in blind! What's stopping Russia from taking his heart and then crushing it under one of his unforgiving boots!? How do you know he isn't just playing America for a fool?" England yelled, turning to face the other two nations again. He pointed a warning finger at them. "Mark my words, all of this smells fishy to me, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it." Then he glared at the two of them, catching his breath for a second. He was wheezing slightly.

"My friend, I must advise against you coming here until you are better." France said desperately. "Taking a flight in your condition is not a good idea."

"Don't think I don't know that you two had something to do with this. You especially." He hissed, jabbing his finger at France. Canada tried to object, but England cut him off. "I know you went early to try and play peace keeper. You told me, remember?" England said angrily. Canada closed his mouth, looking hurt.

"Well, yes." Canada admitted.

"Then don't you try and stop me. I'll see you tomorrow at the meeting. AND DON'T YOU DARE TELL AMERICA ABOUT ANY OF THIS! I DON'T NEED HIM RUNNING FOR THE HILLS!" and with a final glare, the call disconnected.

The two nations sat in silence for a minute, and then Canada sighed, rubbing his face.

"Oh boy." He said. "So that's overprotective England."

France hummed. "Yes, I haven't seen him this upset since a pirate tried to kidnap America for ransom."

"When did that happen?!" Canada asked in surprise.

"Oh, don't worry about it." France said dismissively, stroking his beard worriedly. "What we really need to worry about is keeping him away from the world meeting tomorrow. If he bursts into the meeting this angry, the rest of the world is going to go crazy. Not only that, but he is going to hurt himself. He is in no condition to be raging at anyone, let alone America and Russia at the same time."

"This is all your fault you know." Canada huffed. "Why the hell did you send him those pictures?"

"Because he said I was wrong!" France whined. "I just was going to prove him wrong, nothing more!"

"Well you better fix it! Or else we're going to have World War 3 on our hands!" Canada said. "Thank God we were the only ones to see those photos!"

"Ah, about that…" France said nervously.

"What. Did. You. Do?" Canada asked in horror. "How many people?" He asked desperately, taking France by the front of his shirt in terror. "How many people saw those photos?!"

"…all of them?"

Canada let go of France in shock. They stared at each other in shocked silence for a moment, the Canada whispered, "We're so screwed."

 **_Around the world_**

Italy opened the text France sent him, and immediately started screaming. He ran sobbing over to his brother and showed him the photo's, and his brother immediately started to cross himself and started praying. This caused Italy to freak out even more, and he sent the photos to Germany, and called him sobbing for him to save them.

Germany was stunned. He couldn't believe that France had been right. How long had Russia and America been dating?! How long had they been working with each other? How much did they not know? What were they hiding? For once in his life, he had nothing to say to the sobbing Italian on the phone. No orders, no words of comfort. Only shocked silence. In the background Prussia spit out his beer in shock.

As soon as China got the photos, he started ranting to anyone who would listen that he had been right, and all the bad omens he had been seeing for the last week had been right. He called Japan to tell him, and was shocked to find out that he had been there with France when the photo's had been taken. When he demanded answers, Japan hung up on him.

The Nordics started a shouting match as soon as they found out about the news. Finland couldn't believe that America would ever date Russia, saying America was too nice for Russia. Sweden didn't say anything, just looked like a disappointed father. Denmark was shouting curses around the house, and Norway was trying to contact the magical world to try and make sense of the shocking news. Iceland didn't too bothered by the news, merely telling everyone to be quiet and it wasn't that big of a deal, only to be ignored by everyone else.

Switzerland didn't care about the news. He chose to be neutral about the whole thing.

Ukraine stared at her phone in confusion. She was happy for her brother, but she didn't understand why he chose America of all people. What on earth did they have in common? She heard a glass break in the other room and Belarus screaming in rage. Oh dear, this wasn't good.

Lithuania dropped his phone in shock, the screen breaking on the hard floor tiles in his kitchen. He stared at the phone in horror. When he had called America, he had expected them to maybe get along a little better, not start dating! Oh dear, was he responsible for this? Oh no! He saw Poland in the other room shriek in fear and he threw his phone away from him.

Austria nearly fainted at the news, and Hungary started to scream about how unlikely all of this was, and for Austria to get a grip on himself.

Around the world there were gasps of disbelief, of shock, of anger. The whole world was rocked by this news to it's very core. And in one apartment in New York, a blood curdling scream could be heard over a block away.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN FRANCE TOOK PHOTOS OF US AT THE RESTAURANT?!"

 **A/N: Okay, that's it till next time. I know, I'm a monster. :) Worry not, the next chapter is coming soon! The next chapter is going to be the world meeting! Buckle up lady's and Gentlemen, this story is starting to move!**


	9. Phone calls, Tears, and Hugs (Day 5 & 6)

It had started with a call from Belarus. They had been eating breakfast when she had called. Ivan had been surprised when he had read the caller ID, seeing as she didn't call him very often. But as soon as he accepted the call, he had to yank the phone away from his ear due to how loud her screaming was.

" _BIG BROTHER, HOW COULD YOU?! I THOUGHT YOU WOULD CHOOSE BETTER THAN THAT CAPITALIST PIG! HE'S NO GOOD FOR YOU! I AM COMING OVER AT ONCE AND I AM GOING TO-_

Ivan's face drained of color. "Calm down, please!" He begged. "What are you talking about? Why are you coming over!? Please do not! I do not think we could afford to pay the damages on America's doors!"

"Say what? Who are you talking to? Why are my doors in danger?" Alfred asked in confusion, stopping mid bite and giving Ivan a confused look. Ivan ignored him.

" _WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?!"_ Belarus howled, making Ivan start to shake. _"DO NOT TRY TO PLAY DUMB!"_

"But I really do not know what you are talking about!" Ivan said desperately.

" _DO NOT LIE TO ME! FRANCE JUST SENT ME THE EVIDENCE!"_

"Evidence? What evidence?!" Ivan asked worriedly.

" _WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO KNOW!_ " Belarus yelled. " _YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID!"_

"Um, should I be concerned?" Alfred asked, slowly putting down his fork. "Ivan, what's going on?"

Ivan gestured for Alfred to shut up as Belarus continued to angrily shout at him. "Natalia, is Ukraine there? Could you please put her on? No, I'm not trying to get rid of you!" Ivan said in exasperation, wincing as she shrieked at him again. "Would you please get her!? I need answers and you are not giving them to me!"

Alfred sat quietly for a few minutes watching Ivan argue with his sister, until finally he was able to get Belarus to give up the phone to Ukraine.

"What is going on?" Ivan asked frantically. There was a pause, and then he looked over at Alfred with a worried look. "She said that this involves both of us, and to put her on speaker phone."

"Oh shit." Alfred said. "Well hurry up then!"

Ivan put the phone in the middle of the table, and turned on the speaker.

" _Hello?"_ She asked nervously. _"Are both of you listening?"_

"Yeah, we're here." Alfred said. "What's going on?"

" _Well, we just received a message earlier this morning from France-"_

"What did he do this time?" Alfred asked with a sigh.

" _Ah, well…you see…"_

"Big sister, if this is important please tell us. What was Belarus talking about?" Ivan asked worriedly.

" _Why didn't you tell us you were dating America?"_ Ukraine asked.

Alfred nearly fell out of his chair in shock, and Ivan eyes widened in horror. "WHOA! Hold up!" Alfred said, standing up quickly, staring down at the phone in a panic. "What are you talking about!? Ivan and I aren't-"

" _IVAN?"_ Belarus screamed. _"HOW DARE YOU ADDRESS MY BROTHER IN SUCH A WAY!"_

" _Natalia, please!"_ Ukraine said worriedly. _"Let me at least explain what's going on!"_ With a sigh she continued. _"France sent us pictures of you two on a date at a restaurant this morning. While I think you two look rather cute together, I am rather disappointed in you Ivan. You should have told us you two were together."_

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN FRANCE TOOK PHOTOS OF US AT THE RESTAURANT?!" America shouted, all of the color draining from his face.

" _I'LL KILL YOU, YOU STUPID FAT AMERICAN!"_ Belarus shouted, anger dripping from every word, making Alfred gulp in fear. _"HOW DARE YOU STEAL HIM FROM ME! YOU DON'T DESERVE HIM!"_

"I am going to hang up now." Ivan said, looking down at the phone in fear. "Please send us those photos, and do not let Belarus go to the meeting! If she kills Alfred, we are going to be in trouble with the American government! And do not let her track us down!"

" _I'll try, but I cannot promise you anything."_ Ukraine sighed as Belarus started shrieking again.

" _I'LL KILL Y-"_ but Ivan quickly hung up the phone, cutting her off. They stood there in silence for a moment, and then Alfred's phone dinged. Alfred slowly looked down at it, as it dinged again, then again, and then it started to vibrate like crazy, hundreds of messages from other nations flooding his phone. Alfred backed away from it in alarm as people started to call him.

"This is bad!" Alfred said, starting to panic, looking over at Ivan, who was staring at his phone in horror.

"You do not know how bad it is." Ivan said mournfully, turning his phone towards Alfred. Alfred nearly fainted when he saw the photos. The first one was of him and Ivan eating their desserts together, with him looking like some kind of stupid blushing bride and Ivan smirking at him. The second photo was of him dabbing Ivan's face with the ice cream, and the third photo showed Ivan pushing him into an elevator and him holding the bottles of wine.

"Oh no." Alfred said, shaking his head frantically. "No fucking way! He stopped following us after we got off the bus! How did he know?! It was a last minute plan!"

"Someone else must have been following us." Ivan said. Just then his phone started ringing again, and he quickly turned it off.

"I knew this was going to bite us in the ass!" Alfred said angrily, grabbing his phone and throwing it a nearby cupboard, and then angrily pacing the kitchen. "Granted, I thought it was because the mafia was going to kill us, but this is even worse! I'm going to kill France!"

"Death is too good for him. I suggest we slowly kill him by shoving that stupid camera of his down his throat and making him choke on it." Ivan suggested darkly, his hands clutching the table so hard that it started to crack a little.

"First of all, stop breaking my stuff." Alfred snapped. Ivan huffed in irritation, but he let go of the table. "Second, that isn't nearly a good enough punishment and you know it. I want to make him beg for mercy. And thirdly, this isn't the time to be plotting revenge! The whole world thinks we're dating, and we're caught with our pants down! What the hell are we going to do about this?!" Alfred asked hysterically, pulling at his hair.

"Well, first we should probably not leave the apartment until the meeting tomorrow." Ivan said, pushing his breakfast away from him. "The nation's that arrived early are probably trying to hunt us down, so it would be in our best interest to avoid them until we have come up with a plan."

"Okay, good idea." Alfred said. "And our plan is?"

"We tell them we are not dating."

"Oh yeah, like they're going to believe us after those photo's came out!" Alfred said with a humorless laugh. "And next I'll tell them I can fly like Superman if I put on a cape!"

"I am serious." Ivan huffed. "We will simply tell them the truth."

"Yeah, like telling them you convinced the fucking _RUSSIAN MAFIA_ to get us a spot in a super expensive restaurant just so we could have a friendly meal, and then pick up a Christmas present for the Italian brothers is going to sound more reasonable!" Alfred snorted.

"It is more likely than us dating!" Ivan argued.

"Everyone thinks we're dating, and you think that's really going to work?! Ivan, if there had been rumors spreading about Italy and Germany dating, and someone got a photo of the two going out to dinner and Germany blushing like a school girl on her first date, do you think anyone in their right mind would believe Germany if he said they weren't dating?!" Alfred asked, leaning against one of the kitchen counters and crossing his arms, glaring at Ivan.

"But everyone knows that they have a weird thing going on between them!" Ivan protested. "We have never had something like that between us!"

"I know that, but that's how we look right now!" Alfred said in exasperation. "We have to convince people, who just got the holy grail of misleading photos by the way, to believe us!"

"We can just fight like usual at the meeting tomorrow." Ivan suggested, but Alfred shook his head angrily.

"No, I don't want to fight."

"You don't?" Ivan asked in surprise, staring at Alfred.

"Well, yeah." Alfred said with a huff. "I don't fight with you because I like to, and when we aren't trying to kill each other, you can be kind of fun to hang out with. Plus, even if we did try that, I'm sure the others would see right through us. I'm not exactly the best actor you know. If I'm not actually mad at you, it'll be half hearted."

"You like spending time with me?" Ivan asked, not comprehending what Alfred was saying.

"Did I stutter?" Alfred asked with a sigh.

"But I thought you disliked having me around?" Ivan asked in confusion.

"Well, for a long time, yeah." Alfred admitted, "But not really. You can be a scary son of a bitch at times, and you can be a real pain in my ass, but I don't hate you. Well, I don't hate Ivan." Alfred clarified.

"Ivan? What do you mean?" Ivan asked.

"What I mean is that I don't like Russia very much, but I like hanging out with Ivan."

"But I am Russia!" Ivan said, looking hopelessly confused.

"Yeah, and I'm America." Alfred said with a shrug. "But when we're not talking politics, or trying to one up each other, or we're not doing nation stuff, I'm just Alfred."

Ivan sat there for a second, just staring at Alfred. "I still do not understand."

"Well, when you're petting Milashka, or talking about cool space stuff with me, or poking me in my sides because you think it's funny, that's Ivan." Alfred explained. "When you're threatening to knock my teeth out because I'm bragging about how I got to the moon first, or you're acting like a psycho because our governments aren't getting along, or you're just being creepy, that's Russia."

"You're saying I act differently sometimes?" Ivan asked, looking at Alfred with a look of realization.

"Well, yeah. Haven't you noticed that we've chilled out a bit this last week?" Alfred asked. "You've only done that creepy aura thing of yours at me when we were fighting on the bus about nation stuff. But when we're just hanging out we kind of get along okay. Like this morning for example."

"I had never thought about that." Ivan admitted, looking down at the table with a frown.

"Yeah, but getting back to the problem." Alfred said, steering the conversation back on track. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Why are you asking me?" Ivan asked, getting a bit irritated. "You could try to think of something."

"But I've never been in this kind of situation before." Alfred admitted, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I've never been accused of dating someone. I don't know how to react to this, other than wanting to disappear from the whole thing and letting things blow over."

"Running away?" Ivan asked in disbelief. "That does not seem like something you would do."

"It's called a tactical retreat and it's a sound strategy!" Alfred huffed.

"And where would you go, may I ask?" Ivan asked with a snort. "Everyone already knows where most of your houses are and I doubt anyone would let you stay at their place."

"Alaska." Alfred said, with a shrug. "That's where I usually go to hide out if Mattie won't let me hide at his place."

"Why Alaska of all places?" Ivan asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"First, because it's almost always super cold and dark there, and two, because it's right next to your place." Alfred explained. "It's perfect! Everyone knows I hate the cold and I don't get along with you! No one would think for a second that I would willingly go there!"

"First," Ivan said with a tired sigh, "that is a stupid plan. If I were to try and find you, that would be the first place I would look because I know you would do something like that. Second, while that plan might usually work on everyone else, everyone thinks we are dating, so they would naturally think we would try to live close together. Thus, they would check there first!"

Alfred opened his mouth to argue, but then he paused. After a minute of him struggling to find a counter argument, he started to pout. "Damn it, I hate it when you're right. I guess its back to hiding out in Maine." He sighed.

"Why-"

"Do you ever think of Maine when you're planning to look for me?" Alfred asked with a raised eyebrow. "No, no one does. Everyone thinks to look for me in Texas, or California, or New York. But no one ever thinks of Nebraska, or Wyoming, or several other of my states. Hell, sometimes I'll go out to the mid west in hide in a cornfield for awhile. That usually works."

"How often do you use the corn field one?" Ivan asked in mild amusement.

"Only when I really need to. Cornfields aren't the most comfortable places to hide in."

"Right." Ivan said with an amused shake of his head. "Well, to get back on topic, I cannot say I have been accused of being in many relationships myself. Most people are too scared to even consider it. I am afraid that I am not much use."

"Great, you're no help." Alfred said in exasperation, throwing his hands up in defeat. "What are we supposed to do now? Walk right into the world meeting like nothing weird is going on?"

"That wouldn't be a bad idea." Ivan said. "If we keep things as normal as possible, the others may not panic so much. They may be more willing to listen to us."

"Okay, so just to make things clear, we are going to stroll right into the meeting tomorrow like nothing happened, and when the other nations ask us about the pictures, we explain what really happened and hope they believe us?"

"Yes."

"We're so screwed." Alfred said, hanging his head in defeat. "That's the dumbest plan I ever heard, and I suggested a superhero solve global warming."

"If you have a better idea, I would love to hear it." Ivan said, glaring at Alfred. "I do not see you suggesting anything."

"Well, how about we just don't go?" Alfred suggested hopefully.

"They will think we eloped." Ivan said with a shake of his head. "Plus, it is rude for the hosting nation not to turn up."

"Damn it. Well, that's all I had." Alfred said, turning towards door of the kitchen and attempting to head to his room. "Looks like I'm heading to Maine."

"I do not think so." Ivan said angrily, getting out of his chair and grabbing the back of Alfred's sweater. "If I have to face them, so do you!"

"Hell no!" Alfred snapped, turning his head so he could glare up at Ivan. "You think for a second I'm going to put up with the rest of the world's bullshit?! No way! I'm not going to play to their rules to be nice. I mean," He asked with a humorless laugh, gesturing to himself, "When have I ever cared about manners? What's it to me if the rest of the world thinks I'm a jackass? Hell, half of them think that anyways! And what about your sister?! She wants to drive a knife through my face!"

"I already asked Ukraine to-"

"Do you really think that's going to stop her?" Alfred asked, pushing Ivan off of him and continuing his way to his room. "You're sister is one of the people I have on my do not piss off list, and guess what?! Now I'm her number one target! No way, if I go to that meeting I'm going to be massacred!"

"What about me!?" Ivan asked angrily, following Alfred out of the kitchen with a scowl on his face. "I have to face them too!"

"Please, don't make me laugh. They won't go after you; they're too scared of you. No, they'll go after me as usual." Alfred snorted, waving his hands in irritation. As they reached his room, Ivan blocked the doorway and glared down at the smaller nation.

"You are acting rather selfishly." Ivan commented.

Alfred scowled up at Ivan. "Oh, that's rich coming from you! You're always acting selfishly, but no one calls you out for it because they're afraid of you! But when I want to do anything, be that try and help people or try to keep out of things, I'm either labeled a nosy bastard or a heartless coward! You think its easy being a world superpower!?" Alfred yelled, jabbing Ivan in the chest with his finger. "You try having the rest of the world blame you for everything and see how you like it! You see how easy it is being judged for every little thing you say or do!"

"I already know how that is." Ivan said with a scowl. "I am not a small player. I have to deal with others worse than you do! I know they will not approve of this rumor, not because of you, but because they are worried about what I'm going to do to you! Do not think that I will get off easily!"

"Do to me?" Alfred asked, blinking in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

Ivan sighed, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. "You really do not know?"

"Know what? I mean, it's not like you could do anything to me that I don't want." Alfred snorted. "I'd kick your ass to Texas and back before that would happen."

"I know that." Ivan snapped. "But everyone will assume that I did something to you, and take your side anyways." Ivan said bitterly. "Even when I have done nothing wrong I am labeled as a bad guy. And maybe you are right, and they will not listen to us, but running away is just going to make it worse! How do you think the rest of the world is going to react if I show up and you do not? They will think I locked you up somewhere or hurt you!"

"But you'd never beat me up for something like this." Alfred said with a guilty frown, starting to feel bad for the taller nation. "I mean, you already said yourself that France was to blame!"

"Then tell them that tomorrow!" Ivan said, slumping his shoulders slightly and giving Alfred a tired look. "Do not make them think I have done something I have not."

Alfred sighed, and taking a deep breath he turned around and walked back to the kitchen. "Fine." He said just as tiredly. "Fine. We'll go with your plan. It still sucks, but I guess it's better than my idea. But if your sister murders me, I can't guarantee that world war three won't break out."

"What about England?" Ivan asked, following Alfred out into the living room, where Alfred flopped onto the couch, looking miserable.

"What about him?" Alfred asked with a huff, burying his face into one of the pillows.

"I am sure he will not sit back and let me "date" you." Ivan said, leaning against the wall.

"Chill out." Alfred said, dismissing Ivan with an eye roll. "England's too sick to come to the meeting tomorrow, and even if he wasn't, he probably wouldn't even care. He'd be too busy yelling at France for being an idiot, not running his sword through you.

"I suppose." Ivan said doubtfully.

"I mean, we're all ready in deep shit, what else could go wrong?" Alfred asked.

 **_The Next Day, World Meeting Room_**

"ORDER! ORDER!" Germany yelled, banging his fists on the podium in the middle of the room. "EVERYBODY SHUT UP!"

The room fell silent, and all eyes in the room turned towards the center of the room where Germany was standing. Germany took a deep breath, and after steadying his nerves he cleared his throat.

"Thank you." He said. "As you already know, we have started this meeting early to address the rumors that sparked up yesterday morning."

"Rumors? They aren't rumors!" Cuba said angrily, glaring down at Germany from his seat. "For god's sake, did you even see those pictures?! They looked like they were about to start making out!"

"Please keep all comments to yourself until I open the floor!" Germany said sternly. Cuba gave Germany a dissatisfied glare, but he back down.

"As I was saying," Germany said, scanning the room, daring anyone to interrupt him again. No one did. "Yesterday morning France sent out a number of pictures showing America and Russia on a supposed date." He pulled out a small remote and turned on the smart board behind him, which showed all of the pictures that France had sent out the night before. "Now, we do not know this for a fact, but there is enough evidence to be concerned. If anyone has any information about what's going on, please speak up now so we can sort this out."

The room was dead silent. Germany frowned and looked towards France's seat, and was annoyed to see it was empty.

"Where is France? He's the one who started this mess!" Germany asked angrily. The room filled with whispers, and then a small voice called out, "I know where he went!"

All eyes in the room landed on the right side of the room on America, who seemed to shrink at all of the attention on that was suddenly on him.

"YOU!" Cuba shouted, standing up and pointing at America with a scowl.

"I'm not America!" Canada squeaked, holding his hands up in fear. "I'm his brother Canada!"

"Oh, sorry." Cuba said sheepishly, sitting back down. There was a bit of muffled laughter.

"Canada." Germany said, turning to address the nation. "Where is France?"

"He went to stop England from hunting America down." Canada explained.

"Oh shit, I forgot about that." Prussia muttered from behind him. "He's probably hella pissed right now." The other nations muttered in agreement.

"Okay." Germany said, with a frown. "Canada, you're close to your brother. You wouldn't happen to know what's going on right now, would you?"

"Unfortuantly, no." Canada sighed, looking a bit annoyed. "Me and my brother had a small fight the other day, so I only found what was going on after England told me yesterday. And the last time I talked to my brother, he and Russia were trying to sort out some problems between them."

"Problems?" Spain asked curiously.

"It's not my place to tell you what about their personal problems." Canada stated. "If you want to ask them about it when they get here, feel free."

A few nations grumbled about how unfair that was, but after Germany banged on the podium again, they went quiet. "Is there anything at all you can tell us that might help us?" Germany asked, and Canada sighed, glancing towards the middle of the room, where Japan had been sitting quietly.

"Japan was with France when the pictures were taken, maybe he can help." Canada said, and Japan paled slightly as the world turned its attention to him.

"What?" Germany asked in bewilderment. "Japan, I thought you went straight to your hotel after we visited the museum."

"I…" Japan said unsurely, glancing around the room.

"Don't deny it." China huffed, glaring at Japan from a few seats down from him. "You told me that you and France were there!"

"And France mentioned that you were following them before that." Canada said.

"Japan, would you care to explain?" Germany said with a confused frown.

"It is true that I followed them on France's request." Japan admitted, looking uncomfortable. The room was filled with hushed whispers.

"Why on earth would you do something like that?" Austria asked.

"My reasons are none of your concern." Japan said stiffly.

"BULLSHIT!" China yelled angrily, standing up and pointing an accusing finger at Japan. "We have a right to know what's going on, and you're withholding information. Spill the beans!"

"China, that's enough!" Germany snapped. China threw him a dirty look, but he sat back down, grumbling under his breath. "Japan, you don't have to tell us the reason you agreed to follow them, but could you at least tell us what happened?"

Japan sighed, looking down at his lap. "I met France at the Museum of Natural History. After I was done touring the museum with Germany-"

"What was France doing at the Museum?" Prussia asked curiously.

"He was following America and Russia, who were touring the Museum together." Germany explained.

"They were on a date before they went to dinner?" Finland asked in shock.

"I think we should let Japan finish before we jump to any conclusions." Germany said. He motioned for Japan to continue.

"Ah, as I was saying," Japan continued awkwardly, "I met France outside the building, and I agreed to follow America and Russia because he had a feeling they had caught on to him. When America and Russia left, I followed them until they reached a small store. I followed them inside, careful not to reveal myself to them. They were arguing about something, I could not make out what, but America seemed a bit agitated about something. Then they continued shopping for a few minutes, and then America got very upset about something and shouted 'No!' loud enough to draw people's attention."

"You have no idea what they were arguing about?" Germany pressed.

"I am afraid not." Japan said apologetically. "After America and Russia went into another isle that was empty, I was able to get a bit closer. I overheard Russia suggest dinner, and after a few minutes of arguing about wine, America finally agreed. They walked towards the front of the store after this, so I slipped out a back exit and continued to follow them. They went to a suit store afterwards, where they had another argument, and America kicked him out until he was finished."

"They sure do fight a lot." Poland commented.

"That's pretty normal for them." Denmark pointed out.

"And what about the dinner pictures?" China asked. "You were there with France! Explain!"

"Well, it was pretty normal for most of the dinner." Japan explained. "It was not until the last few minutes of the dinner that they showed any affection for each other. They were chatting and arguing as usual up until dessert came out."

"Ah." Hungary said, nodding her head. "That would make sense. Dessert is the most romantic part after all."

"That's true." Belgium agreed with a giggle.

Germany sighed, and picking up the remote again he blew up the first dinner picture, the one with America blushing. "Japan, please be honest with us." The room went quiet again. "Is this picture accurate? Did this really happen?"

The room held its breath as Japan hesitated. It was so still they could have heard a pin drop. Then finally Japan bowed his head, and said, "Yes."

The room broke out into pandemonium instantly. People stood to their feet yelling and arguing. Germany heard China saying that the end times were coming, the Italian brothers shouting in Italian, and a few counties complaining about their betting pool. He tried to get the room back into order, but he eventually gave up. It took a better part of ten minutes before it calmed down enough for him to even attempt to calm the crowd down.

"But why Russia?" Lithuania asked after things settled back down.

"Yeah, it's not like the idiot has ever shown any interest in like, any one ever!" Poland said with a frown.

"Maybe he's attracted to power?" Someone suggested.

"Nah, if he was he would have gone after someone sooner." Prussia said with a shake of his head. "Or he would have just stayed with England. Hell, if anything he hates it when anyone challenges his position. I'm looking at you China." Prussia said, jabbing at finger at China, who flipped him off in response.

"Maybe he likes tall guys?" Hungary suggested.

"He would have gone after Sweden before Russia!" Someone shouted.

"I don't think so." Sweden muttered uncomfortably as Denmark burst out into laughter.

"Maybe he likes bad boys?" Australia pondered.

"But he's always saying he's the Hero! You'd think he'd be turned off by someone like Russia." Turkey said.

"Maybe Russia chased him?" Italy suggested. The room went silent.

"That's a scary thought." Finland muttered, and the rest of the room nodded in agreement.

"That would never happen." Prussia snorted. "First of all, America wouldn't know if someone was flirting with him even if they slapped him over the face with roses and a box of chocolates. Second, if Russia attempted to flirt with America, do you really think that would go well? Russia would probably threaten America thinking that was romantic, and America would laugh then punch him in the face."

"He'd probably demand they become one." Romano said with a shudder.

"Or threaten him into a relationship." Greece said with a frown.

"That seems very unlikely." Canada said with a huff. "Please, if my brother doesn't want to do something, he'll make it very clear. Trying to make him do something he doesn't like is like trying to give a cat a bath. And if Russia did try something like that…" Canada said darkly, a dangerous expression on his face, "… Let's just say I'd deal with it."

"Right." Switzerland said doubtfully.

"Look, why don't we just ask America and Russia about this?" Canada asked.

"Uh…Because they wouldn't tell us the truth if they were." Prussia said.

"But why?" Canada asked in exasperation. "Look, this isn't that big of a deal-"

"NOT A BIG DEAL?!" China yelled angrily, making Canada flinch. "YOU DO REALIZE THAT TWO OF THE MOST POWERFUL NATIONS IN THE  
WORLD ARE DATING, RIGHT?! THIS IS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN! COULD YOU EVEN IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THEY HAD A MAJOR FIGHT?! THE NUKES WOULD BE COMING OUT QUICKER THAN YOU COULD SAY RICE CRACKER!"

"I highly doubt that. Personal relationships have nothing to do with politics." Germany said, trying to calm the building tension in the room. "At worst, they would just drag us into their relationship problems."

"You mean how you drag Japan into your relationship problems with Italy?" Prussia asked with a smirk.

Germany just sighed. "I will deal with you later." He threatened.

Suddenly, there were three deep knocks on the door. The room froze, and all eyes looked over at the large oak door.

"Come in." Germany said, as the room braced itself.

 **_AlfredandRussia'sPOV_**

"This is a bad idea." Alfred muttered nervously, staring at the oak doors in front of him. He and Russia were standing outside the meeting room doors, and they could hear muffled arguing on the other side of the doors.

Alfred looked bad. He had dark circles under his eyes from not sleeping the night before, and his usually neat suit was a wrinkled from forgetting to iron it. He was holding a cup of coffee like it was a life line, and he was nervously rocking on the balls of his feet. While Ivan looked at ease, his eyes gave away his nervousness, as they kept scanning the room every few seconds as if looking for someone. Alfred assumed that he was looking for Belarus, and he couldn't blame him. Although Ukraine had assured them that she and her sister weren't coming, Alfred still felt like he had a bull's eye on his face.

Ivan sighed, and looked down at Alfred with a tired expression. "I suppose we should get this over with?" he asked, gesturing to the door in front of them.

"It's not too late to go to Maine." Alfred pointed out, but Ivan just rolled his eyes. Lifting his hand, he knocked on the door three times, and the room inside went silent.

"Oh, well that's a good sign." Alfred muttered sarcastically as a voice told them to enter.

Ivan opened the door, and they walked in. They were in a large auditorium, which was shaped in a semicircle, which pointed to the front of the room where Germany was standing at a podium. The rest of the world watched as they entered the room, and Alfred wished he had his brother's power to disappear as all the eyes in the room focused on them. No one said anything as Ivan closed the door, and in the deafening silence the click of the door sounded like thunder.

Ivan slowly scanned the room. He paused on France's empty chair, and his eyes narrowed a fraction. He didn't know where he had gone, but if he was hiding then he would take great pleasure in hunting him down later. He glanced at where his sisters usually sat, and felt a wave of relief as he saw they weren't present. He would have to buy Ukraine a present to thank her later. Alfred also looked around the room, and saw his brother sitting in his usual spot next to his seat. He also saw that England's seat was empty, and was relieved that he hadn't come. The last thing England needed was to be out of bed.

"Gentlemen." Germany said.

"Germany." Alfred replied with fake cheer. "Um…are we late?" Alfred asked with a nervous chuckle, gesturing to the rest of the nations. "I could have sworn that the meeting was at ten."

"No, you are on time." Germany stated. "We started early."

"Oh…" Alfred said, his smile slipping off his face a little. "I didn't get an email."

"No, you wouldn't have." Germany said with a tired sigh. "We had an emergency meeting. I think you two know what about."

Alfred didn't say anything, but his face paled a bit, and Ivan let out a tired sigh.

"Yes, we do." Ivan said. The rest of the room started to mutter to each other.

"In that case," Germany said, gesturing to a pair of chairs next to him. "I think we need an explanation. We have more pressing issues to cover today, so let's get this over with as quickly as possible."

"What is this, an investigation?" America asked angrily.

"Of course not." Germany said with a sigh. "We just need to sort out a few things if we're going to make any kind of progress today. Please."

Alfred huffed, and made to walk back out the door, but Ivan sighed and grabbing the back of Alfred's jacket, he dragged him back towards the chairs, Alfred sulking the whole way there. After they were seated, Alfred started tugging on his sleeves nervously and Ivan watched Germany with feigned interest.

"I just have one question for you two." Germany said.

"And that would be?" Ivan asked in a bored tone.

"Are you two dating each other?" Germany asked, being as blunt as possible.

"No." Alfred said.

"No." Ivan said.

"Okay, that settles that." Germany said, turning back to the rest of the room.

"NO IT DOESN'T!" China yelled, and the other nations started yelling in protest.

"They could be lying!" Romano yelled.

"Dude, why the hell would I lie about this?" Alfred asked angrily. "You got your answer, now fuck off."

"Why are you being so defensive?" Romano taunted back.

"How would you feel if I said you and Germany were dating?" Alfred shot back.

"Urh! How dare you suggest such a thing?!" Romano yelled angrily. "You stupid hamburger bastard!"

"Then explain those pictures!" Spain said, pointing to the smart board.

Alfred turned around to look at the smart board, and then let out a groan as he hid his face in his hands. "Did you really have to make them bigger?" he asked.

"Well, yeah." Prussia said with a smirk. "You just look so cute with a blush on your face."

"Go fuck yourself." Alfred said as his face went red, and Prussia started laughing.

"We simply went out to dinner." Ivan said with a shrug. "What's wrong with Alfred being a good host?"

"He took you to one of the fanciest restaurants in New York City just to be nice?" Switzerland asked doubtfully.

"Yep." Alfred said.

"Bullshit." China said. "You were clearly flirting."

"Nope, I was proving to him that ice cream is better than Italian ice." Alfred explained, pointing to the picture where he was dabbing Ivan's face.

"By putting it on his face." China asked, not looking convinced.

"It was revenge."

"That's some lame ass revenge." Prussia said.

"Well, he also ordered at well done steak." Alfred added, and there were gasps of disgust from some of the more food savvy nations.

"You monster!" Romano shouted at Ivan, and then he cowered when said nation glared at him.

"I fail to see how that is relevant to this conversation." Germany said.

"Well, Japan told us-" China started to say, but a look of confusion grew on Alfred's face.

"What does Japan have to do with anything?" Alfred asked. The room went quiet, and Japan refused to make eye contact with Alfred as he turned to look at him. "It was France who sent those stupid pictures out, not Japan."

"Al…" Canada said nervously, and Alfred's attention snapped onto his brother. "France wasn't the only one following you after you left the museum."

"I see." Ivan growled, glaring over at Japan, who glared right back at Russia.

"I knew it!" Alfred said. "But who…" Alfred started to ask, but then his eyes widened in realization. "No way, you mean…" America said, spinning around to look at Japan, who was avoiding eye contact. "Dude, you were the second stalker?"

Japan didn't reply, choosing to remain silent. But that was enough of an answer for America, whose face fell. "Really? But why would you help France spy on me?" He asked in disbelief. Japan bowed his head in shame, but didn't say anything. "Kiku?" Alfred asked, hurt by his friends refusal to answer him.

"I see you are not as good a friend as you claim to be." Ivan sneered, and Japan shot Russia an angry look.

"I admit my actions were wrong, but at least I am not pretending to be nice to him, unlike you." Japan shot back. There were a few shocked gasps from the other nations and Ivan's expression grew murderous. As the tension in the room skyrocketed, Germany stepped in-between the fighting nations.

"Leave any arguments you have for outside this room." Germany said quickly. Alfred didn't say anything, looking blankly at the floor, but it was clear to everyone that he was reeling from the news. Ivan couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Wait, hold up!" Poland shouted, standing up suddenly, looking triumphant.

"Now is not the time." Lithuania hissed, trying to get his friend to shut up as everyone turned to look at him. "Do you want to get killed?!"

"You called America by his real name earlier!" Poland said, pointing an accusing finger at Ivan, who blinked in surprise.

"Da, I did." Ivan said, not understanding what Poland was trying to say. "What of it?"

Poland smirked. "Why, I didn't know you two were close enough to do that."

The room erupted in to conversation, and Ivan felt a headache coming on.

"It is not that big of a deal." Ivan tried to say, but no one was buying it.

"When did that start?!" Finland asked in horror, looking over at America with a worried expression.

Alfred snapped out of his daze, and rolled his eyes. "Look, it's not that big of a deal. If Ivan and I-"

"IVAN?!" Lithuania asked, his mouth falling open.

"Oh no, here we go." Alfred sighed, rubbing his face as the room erupted into chaos.

"When did you two get onto first name basis!?" Spain asked in horror.

"I thought you said you wouldn't call a communist by his name as long as you lived!?" Prussia asked, looking at Alfred in terror.

"I'm not a-" Ivan started to grumble, but to his surprise Alfred said angrily, "He's not a communist. Give it a break; he stopped being one decades ago."

The room gasped again, but this time people stared at Alfred, whose face fell. "Oh dear." He muttered, realizing what he just said. Japan's face fell as the room around him fell into chaos.

"America." Germany said slowly, backing away slightly from him, alarm clearly written all over his face. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Well, other than the fact that I didn't get enough sleep and coffee this morning, and I'm being interrogated like a criminal, yeah, I'm good." Alfred said sarcastically. "Look, it's a long story, but it had to do with a taxi cab and me maybe realizing I've kind of been a jackass for the last few decades-"

Italy screamed in terror. "He just admitted to being a jackass! He's admitting fault! We're all dead!"

"Come on dude." Alfred said, looking a bit offended. "I'm not that bad."

The rest of the room started panicking. "America's gone off the deep end! He's been brainwashed! He's actually saying he's not perfect! He's not calling Russia a commie! Why is he being nice to Russia?! What's going on?" A flurry of voices asked in alarm.

"This is starting to hurt my feelings." Alfred said with a pout.

"Welcome to my world." Ivan muttered under his breath.

"Alfred." Prussia said, standing up and slowly making his way towards America like he was a scared animal. "Don't panic, but I think you've gone insane."

"No, I'm pretty sure I haven't." Alfred said, annoyed at everyone's reactions.

"Prove it, call him a commie." Prussia said, pointing at Russia, who scowled at him.

"What the hell?! No way!" Alfred said angrily. "Look, I'm just trying to be nicer-"

"What did you do to him!?" China asked in horror, backing away from America like he was a plague. "Just a week ago he was spitting venom at the mention of your name, and now he's defending you?!"

"Oh my god, you've brainwashed him!" Poland yelled.

"Oh come on." Alfred snorted. "As if."

Ivan sighed, and gave Alfred the 'see, I told you' look, gesturing at the room.

"Dude, I'm sorry I doubted you." Alfred huffed.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD, HE APOLOGIZED TO HIM!" Cuba shrieked.

"America, don't worry, we'll get you the best help we can!" Prussia said, looking around the room in a panic. "Somebody call 911! Get an ambulance! Get the Police! Call the president! Assemble congress!"

"I'm not mental!" America shouted angrily.

"Of course you're not." Denmark said with an unconvincing smile.

"Okay, you know what? I'm leaving!" Alfred shouted, standing up and grabbing Ivan's arm. He started dragging Ivan with him out of the room, muttering about how he didn't have to put up with this shit. The rest of the room started to go into chaos again, a few nations getting up to stop them, but when Alfred was only a hundred feet away from the door, it was kicked open, startling him and making him back into Ivan, who had to catch him before he fell onto the floor. Looking up, Alfred's face went pale as he saw England angrily standing in the doorway, his face flushed in anger. France was standing behind the former Empire with a defeated look.

"England?!" Alfred asked, his mouth opening in disbelief. "What are _YOU_ doing here?! Why aren't you in bed?! Aren't you supposed to be sick?"

"YOU!" England roared, pointing at a very confused Russia.

"Me?" Ivan asked, pointing to himself with a confused frown.

"What the hell did you do to America?!" He shouted, angrily making his way to where Russia was, with France trying desperately to hold the shorter nation back.

"England, please!" France begged. "It isn't worth it!"

England turned around and decked France in the face, causing the man to stagger back, holding his now bleeding nose. "Shut up!" England growled. "This is your fault!"

"Whoa, let's just calm down!" Alfred yelled, only for England to spin around and glare at his former colony.

"Shut up, America. You don't realize what's going on!" England said, continuing to walk towards the two nations.

"You know, you're right!" America said, getting back onto his feet. "What the fuck is going on here?!"

England's only response was to pull out a sword from his belt, making Alfred back away in alarm and the other nations in the room to start yelling again.

"Let him go, you bastard!" England growled at Russia. Ivan just raised a confused eyebrow while Alfred started to freak out.

"Whoa, England, bro, dude, your fever is making you hallucinate man! Just chill out!" Alfred said, but to his surprise England just pushed him behind his back and put his sword to Russia's throat, which Ivan just looked amused at.

"THIS IS AWESOME!" Prussia cackled. "This is better than anything in a soap opera!"

"You idiot!" Germany yelled. "We have to stop them!"

"I'm not getting between them!" Turkey said, putting his hands up in surrender. "I don't have a death wish."

"May I help you?" Russia asked England.

"Just what do you think you're trying to accomplish by trying to seduce America?" England growled.

"Dude! No one is seducing me!" Alfred squawked. "Why won't people listen to me!" He tried to drag England away from Ivan, but then England noticed America's haggard appearance.

"You don't look so good." He commented.

"Aw geez, ya THINK?!" Alfred shouted angrily. "I bet you'd look just swell if you missed a night of sleep and then you'd been interrogated for the last half an hour!

"Don't believe a thing he says!" China yelled, pointing to America. "He's been brainwashed!"

"WILL YOU SHUT UP!?" Alfred snapped, glaring up at China.

"He's been refusing to call Russia a commie and has been calling him Ivan!" Prussia shouted.

"WHEN DID YOU START CALLING HIM IVAN!" England yelled, looking over at America in horror.

"It's not a big deal!" Alfred tried to explain, but then England only snarled and turned his attention back onto Russia.

"I think you are misreading the situation." Ivan said calmly.

"Shut up! I don't know what you're up too, but I'm not letting you take advantage of America!"

"What am I, damsel in distress?!"

"You're taking advantage of the fact that he's completely clueless about romance, and then you're going to use him and break his heart just too get one up on him!"

"I assure you, I am not." Russia sighed.

"I don't know how you've made him start to like you, but I'm putting a stop to it." England spat.

Russia snorted. "I'd like to see you make me do anything."

"Dude, stop antagonizing the guy with the sword!" Alfred shouted.

"He also apologized to Russia!" Cuba shouted.

"DUDE, NOT HELPING!" Alfred shouted angrily.

"America." England said, suddenly getting worried. "If he's threatening you, you just have to say so. We can help you!"

Alfred felt something inside him snap. "WHY WON'T ANY ONE LISTEN TO ME?!" He yelled hysterically, pulling at his hair. "NO ONE IS THREATENING ME! NO ONE IS BRAINWASHING ME! NO ONE IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ME! I'M NOT MENTAL, AND I'M NOT CRAZY! I'VE JUST BEEN TRYING TO BE NICER TO RUSSIA, IVAN, HOWEVER YOU WANT ME TO CALL HIM! IS THAT SUCH A BAD THING?"

"Yes, because it's not like you!" England said worriedly.

"Oh my fucking god." Alfred said, turning around. "I'm leaving. I can't do this anymore. I'm losing brain cells. All of this because of some stupid rumors and some freaking wine, not to mention the mafia and Christmas trees and one in all shampoo and stupid stalkers and my freaking boss is an idiot and I just want to go home and pet Hero-"

"I think he's finally lost it." Prussia whispered worriedly as Alfred walked out of the room, still ranting about random things. Ivan sighed, and grabbing England's sword he bent the tip down ninety degrees, making England back up in shock, and he followed Alfred out of the room.

"AND SINCE YOU'RE HERE ENGLAND, YOU CAN DO YOUR OWN SPEECH!" America yelled from the hallway.

The room was quiet for a minute, with England awkwardly holding a bent sword, France still trying to stop his bleeding nose, Japan looking lost, and Germany standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. Finally, Germany cleared his throat. "Well, that cleared nothing up." He said. "I guess we'll just carry on now."

"You're kidding." Austria said in disbelief. "You want to keep going after that shit show?"

"Like it or not, we have a job to do! And just because the host nation isn't here doesn't mean we can't still continue the meeting. If we must, we can have a half an hour break to calm down, but after that we're getting to work!"

The rest of the room grumbled in protest, but they followed his instructions.

 **_LineBreak_**

Ivan sighed as he followed a fuming Alfred down the hallway. America was still muttering about how no one listened to him, and Ivan was trying to talk him down.

"Alfred."

"Shut up."

"Alfred."

"I said shut up!"

"You need to calm down."

"No! I won't!" Alfred snapped.

"It is not that big of a deal." Ivan tried to say, but Alfred just let out a hysterical laugh.

"Not a big deal! Are you fucking kidding me? They just called me a brainwashed victim and said all sorts of horrible things to you! And now everyone is fucking convinced we're going out, and England just threatened you, and Japan-" Alfred suddenly stopped walking, and Ivan almost ran into him.

"and Kiku…" Alfred said, his voice cracking as he said Japan's name, his shoulders starting to shake.

"Alfred?" Ivan asked worriedly. He hesitated, then he put his hand on Alfred's shoulder and turned him around so he could see his face. His heart dropped as he saw Alfred's face screwed up and tears rolling down his face.

"Why did he help do this?" Alfred sobbed, trying desperately to wipe the tears from his face. "Why? What did I do to him? I mean," he hiccupped, "I can understand France doing something like this, but HIM? He's my best friend!"

"I don't know." Ivan said quietly. Alfred shook his head angrily.

"It doesn't make sense! He wouldn't cause anyone trouble on purpose! I must have done something. But what did I do?!" Alfred asked frantically.

"Alfred," Ivan sighed, "you didn't do anything wrong."

Alfred looked up at Ivan in a panic. "No, you don't get it! I must have done something! It's always my fault people are mad at me! I'm the one who always messes up, or says something stupid, or causes problems."

"That's not true." Ivan said angrily, but Alfred wasn't even listening anymore.

"But what did I do? Oh god, I can't even remember!" He said, starting to get overwhelmed. "How am I supposed to make it right if I don't even know what I did? I don't know what to do! What do I do?"

Suddenly, Alfred felt a pair of arms wrap around him and Ivan gently pulled into a bear hug. As Ivan rested his head on top of Alfred's, Alfred froze. It took him a moment to understand what was going on and in his confusion he didn't resist. He just kind of stood there confused for a moment, before he looked up at Ivan.

"Ivan."

"Yes?" Ivan hummed.

"What are you doing?"

"I am hugging you."

"Well, yeah. But I meant why are you hugging me?" Alfred asked with a frown.

"Because you were freaking out."

"Oh." Alfred said. After a moment he relaxed a bit into the hug. Alfred always had thought Ivan would be cold to the touch, but surprisingly he was warm. "This is nice."

"I am very good at hugging." Ivan said cheerfully.

"Mhmm." Alfred agreed.

"Do you want to go home?"

"Yeah." Alfred agreed, suddenly feeling drained. "Can we pick up ice cream on the way home?"

"If you want to." Ivan agreed, letting Alfred go. "Are you feeling any better?"

"A little?" Alfred said with a shrug.

"Good." Ivan said with a nod. He gently pushed Alfred towards the exit. "We should probably go before the others find us again."

"Good idea." Alfred muttered, following Ivan out into the parking lot.

Ivan insisted on driving, and Alfred didn't put up much of a fight. He didn't think he was in much of a condition to drive anyways. As they drove down the road, Ivan sighed.

"You know you are not to blame for Japan's mistakes, right?" He asked.

Alfred didn't say anything, just turned to look out the window at the passing traffic.

"It is not because of anything you did." Ivan continued. "I am not sure why he would do this, but I am sure it has nothing to do with your actions."

"But why then?" Alfred asked miserably.

"Who knows?" Ivan said with a shrug. "Maybe he was not trying to hurt you at all, and just made a bad decision. Maybe he is an idiot. Maybe he wanted you to be angry at me. Regardless of the reason, you should not blame yourself."

Alfred just shrugged his shoulders.

"Not everything is your fault."

"Sure feels like it sometimes." Alfred muttered.

"Just because the world points their fingers at you and says that is your fault doesn't make it true." Ivan snorted. "And I think they forget that if all of their dirty laundry was out in the open all of the time they would not look so good either. You are just unfortunate to have the news always pointed at you at all hours of the day."

"But I'm not that good of a person." Alfred said with a sigh. "And it kind of sucks that just because I wanted to be nicer to you everyone thinks I'm going nuts. Am I really that much of a jackass that me acting kind is unthinkable?"

"Not really. But I am not a very good person either. So what? Just because we are not nice all time does not mean anything. And sure, America can be a pain in the ass who sticks his nose where it does not belong, and can be a jackass, but Alfred loves cats, and learning how to ice skate, and loves watching snow fall." Ivan said with a small smile. "And I like him for that."

A smile pulled at Alfred's lips. "You're getting soft in your old age."

"Perhaps." Ivan agreed. "That would not be the worst thing that happened to me. Maybe I should retire."

"Somewhere warm?"

"With a large field of sunflowers." Ivan agreed.

"Sounds nice." Alfred said, closing his eyes, resting his head against the window.

"Da, it does." Ivan said with a smile.

 **A/N: Oh my lord, why did this take so long to make? Okay, starting to make some leaps! People are pissed off, friendships are ruined, people got punched, and is that romance in the air?! I think so! :D What will the other nations do now? When will Belarus kill them? Why do I keep asking questions I don't know the answers to? Find out next chapter!**


	10. Ice cream and Broken Friendships (Day 6)

**_AftertheworldMeeing_**

"Well, you fucked up." China huffed, sitting down next to Japan as the rest of the nations left the room, whispering excitably. The meeting, predictably, had gone nowhere after America and Russia had stormed out. Germany had made a valiant effort to keep it going for the first few hours, but eventually he had given into the pressure, and had decided that it would be better for everyone to meet again after the holidays after everything had died down. After throwing his hands up and admitting defeat, he had stormed out of the room as well, muttering darkly about childish behavior.

"That is one way to say it." Japan said tiredly, rubbing his eyes. China felt no sympathy for the younger nation.

"No, like seriously, you fucked up." China snorted, glaring at Japan, pointing at the door. "You know America's going to kick your ass for this."

"I know that." Japan sighed.

"He probably hates you now."

"I know."

"He's never going to want to talk to you ever again."

"China, with all due respect-" Japan grumbled, throwing the older nation a look of irritation, but China held up his hand with a scowl, cutting him off.

"No, you don't get respect. What you did crossed several lines, and just lost you one of your close friends. Rightfully so, might I add. What the hell did you think you were trying to accomplish with that stunt?"

"It is none of your business." Japan snapped.

China narrowed his eyes at Japan. "Stop acting like a child. I didn't raise your sorry ass just so you can act like a spoiled brat who doesn't want to be told off." When Japan continued to scowl at him, China sighed, and leaned back in his chair. "Does this have something to do with your crush on America?"

Japan's whole body froze, and his eye widened in horror. China just gave him a knowing look and shook his head in amusement. After a few moments, Japan let out a defeated laugh, and all the fight left his body. Japan stared down at his feet with a solemn expression, shaking his head sadly. "Am I really that obvious?"

"Yeah, and it's sad." China said, his expression softening at the sight of the younger nation's distress. "Of course, America's never noticed because he's an oblivious bastard, but everyone else can see it from a mile away."

Japan let out a shaky sigh, and rested his head on top of his arms on the table. "I guess it is too late to tell him how I feel." Japan muttered bitterly.

"What are you talking about?" China scoffed.

"He's dating Russia now." Japan spat.

"Actually, I kind of doubt that." China said with a small huff of amusement. "Russia and America are kind of famous for not being interested in other people that way. If anything, they just might be starting to get along better. I mean, even that's unlikely, but that's probably closer to the truth. The evidence of them dating is kind of flimsy at best, and after thinking about for a few minutes, there are too many holes in that theory. However, it's probably safe to say that they are getting on better terms."

Japan lifted his head off the table and looked at China with a small look of hope.

"However," China continued with a stern look, making Japan wilt again, "I doubt America would be interested in dating you right now, or even being near you for the next decade."

"I…did not mean to cause America any distress." Japan confessed, swallowing hard, and looking down into his lap to avoid China's gaze. "I only went with France because I was…jealous." Japan muttered, looking ashamed of himself.

"No shit." China said, rolling his eyes. "Why didn't you just tell him how you felt before turning to France of all people?"

"I-" Japan sputtered desperately, his face going red. "I…um…was too embarrassed."

"Kiku, what is the point of being around him for so long if you can't even tell him how you feel?" China asked with a tired sigh.

"I didn't want to risk our friendship." Japan said, looking miserable.

"I guess that worked out great. Oh wait." China said, tapping his chin. "I guess you don't have to worry about that anymore, seeing as he hates you now."

Japan looked like he was about to cry, and feeling a bit of pity for him, China sighed again. "You need to apologize and explain to him why you acted like you did."

"I CAN NOT!"Japan yelled desperately. "What if he hates me even more for telling him I like him?!"

China just gave Japan a bland look. "I'm too fucking old for this shit." He muttered, standing up. "Well," He said, "I can't force you too, but you don't have much of a choice, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you don't apologize and explain yourself to him, he'll think you did it just because and leave him wondering why you were such a bad friend and an asshole to him. And if you do tell him your reasons, there's still a chance he won't forgive you, and he'll reject you outright and stop being your friend for awhile. Or, and this is the most likely outcome, he'll still reject you, but you'll have your friend back. And don't look so miserable." China snapped, seeing Japans face fall. "You made your bed, now lye in it." And with that, China walked out of the room, leaving a very quiet Japan behind him. 'Hopefully,' he thought to himself, 'the other nations weren't stupid enough to believe the rumors for much longer.'

 **_IntheLobby_**

"I say they'll come clean and come out of the closet in two weeks!" Prussia said with a smirk, holding up ten bucks.

"I say three weeks." Hungary said with a wicked smile, slamming down a hundred dollar bill on the table where Switzerland was writing down everyone's bets.

"Oooh, confident aren't you?" Prussia said.

"I'm rarely wrong about these things." Hungary boasted.

"I bet thirty bucks they'll be caught kissing somewhere before Christmas!"Mexico yelled from across the room.

"I say forty bucks they get caught doing the devils tango before Christmas!" Someone shouted.

"I bet fifty they break up in ten days!"

"A hundred dollars on them getting married in secret by next year!"

"Please, one at a time, one at a time!" Switzerland shouted over the crowd with a scowl. "I can only write so fast you know."

"Why are you all so calm about this!?" England asked angrily, crossing his arms and glaring at the room. "I thought you all were terrified about the thought of them dating not even an hour ago?"

"Well, if they aren't, there's nothing to worry about, but if they are we have a new betting pool!" Italy said happily.

"YOU LOT SHOULD'T BE BETTING AT ALL." England shouted, his face bright red, and steam almost coming out of his ears.

"Ah, liven up, you stale peanut." Cuba huffed, throwing England an irritated look. "It's not like you can do anything about it. Especially not with that broken sword." He added, pointing at the bent sword hanging from England's hip.

"I WILL NOT! THIS IS GOING TO GO HORRIBLY WRONG, I JUST KNOW IT!"

"How much you willing to bet on that?" Spain asked eagerly.

Before England could strangle the Spanish man, Canada grabbed him. "England, please." Canada said, trying to steer the fuming nation out the doors. "You're already sick and you need to rest. Plus, you've already punched France. There's nothing more you can do here."

"Where is France?!" England snapped. "I haven't finished with him yet."

"I think he already left." Canada said with a tired sigh. "Look, if you go back to the hotel for tonight, I'll go over to Alfred's place and have a talk with him.

"I'm going too!" England insisted. But as he said that, he started to cough violently, which just made Canada more determined.

"You will not." He said firmly. "The only thing you're going to do is make things worse. I can't believe you openly threatened Russia! What on earth were you thinking?"

"America is an idiot. It's clear that something strange is going on between them, but he doesn't seem to notice that he's changed." England grumbled, yanking himself free of the younger nation's grip and turned to face Canada with a stern frown. "Tell me, when was the last time Russia and America have gotten along so well?"

"It's been awhile, I admit." Canada said with a shrug. "Look, just go to your hotel room and cool off for a bit, alright? I know for a fact Al would have never dated anyone without asking for my advice first. That, and if he ever realized he liked someone like that, his poor puritan mind might explode. And besides," Canada added with a slight snicker, "I think if Russia ever tried to flirt with him, he'd probably faint."

"Does he ask for your advice a lot?" England asked with a frown.

"Not always, but when it comes to personal stuff he does. I am his twin you know." Canada said with a soft smile. "Surprisingly, he seems to value my opinion on how to get along with others. Maybe it's because the majority of the world likes me." Canada paused for a second. "Or maybe he just likes to bother me with his problems."

"He never come and asks me for advice." England said, looking annoyed.

"Well, maybe if you stopped yelling and stop throwing him out of your house every time he comes to visit, he might be more willing to come to you." Canada said with a huff, crossing his arms.

"Well if he stopped acting like such an idiot I wouldn't have to yell at him all the time." England grumbled, glancing back at the other nations behind him, who were still gossiping. Switzerland had started collecting money around the room now.

Canada didn't say anything, just rolling his eyes at the older nation.

"Is there something you want to say?!" England snapped, glaring at Canada, but Canada just gave England an unimpressed look. "There is, actually. When are you and Al going to stop acting like sulky teenagers and start acting like adults with each other?"

"I am not acting like a sulky teenager." England hissed.

"You are." Canada snapped, causing England to start a bit. Canada never spoke to him like that. "Don't think I'm stupid. I've seen how you treat him. Like he's still your little brother, like he needs protecting, like he needs _you,_ " Canada said with a growl, poking England's chest with his finger, "to make decisions for him."

"I don't-"

"Oh please, that's EXACTLY what you did today when you came in waving that stupid sword around and telling Al he was off his rocker." Canada leaned towards England, a scowl on his face. "Did it even occur to you, for even one fucking second, that maybe, just _maybe_ , Al was telling the truth back there about not dating Russia? Or did you just jump onto the band wagon because you think Al is stupid and can't do anything right? Because he's poor, defenseless, little America who needs his big brother to protect him like in the old days?"

"Now see here-"England said weakly, his face slowly going pale.

"No! I'm tired of this. Yeah, Al can be kind of thoughtless sometimes, and sure, maybe he's a little annoying at times, but he's far from stupid. And for once, I'd like to see someone treat him like he's an actual person, and not just some nuisance or problem. Al is a fucking adult. He is the world's superpower, he can take care himself, and the reason he won't talk to you much these days is because you can't get your head out of your ass for two seconds and acknowledge that."

England was gapping, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Canada let out a sigh, and slowly let the anger bleed out of him. "Look, if Russia was bothering him, or trying to do something to him, I doubt Al would just let him. If anything America would have tried to punch his lights out. Just for once, respect America's choices." He looked at England, a look of disappointment on his face. "Just go to your hotel, England. Maybe after you cool off you can actually approach America like an adult for once."

Canada turned around, and started to walk out of the room. Before he reached the doors, he paused, and turned around. "Oh, and Arthur?"

"Yes?" England asked warily, looking much meeker than he had before.

"If he had been dating Russia, I would have supported it, because at least Russia gives him some bit of respect. He's only ever seen him as someone to not only fear, but as an equal on the playing field. Which is a lot more than I can say about you. Goodnight." And with that Canada stormed out of the room.

 **_Alfred'sandRussia'sPOV_**

"Feeling better?" Ivan asked as he spooned out some ice cream out of his bowl and plopped it into his mouth. They were currently in a dairy queen, and after they had ordered enough ice cream to put them into diabetic shock, they had sat down in a corner where they would be hidden out of sight. Ivan had ordered a large plain vanilla cup, while Alfred had gotten some sort of chocolate abomination. Ivan wasn't sure how they did it, but it looked like all of the worlds chocolate had been stuffed into a large Styrofoam cup. It looked like it would poison him with one bite.

Alfred just shrugged his shoulders glumly. He had barely touched his ice cream, instead opting to watch it melt instead.

Ivan sighed, and put his spoon down. "This is a very disturbing sight. I did not think I would live to see the day you turned down ice cream."

"I'm not really hungry." Alfred mumbled.

"Are you still upset about Japan?" Ivan asked with a slight scowl. Ivan didn't have a very high opinion of Japan on the best of days, and after the stunt he had pulled his opinion had only gotten lower. His hands were itching to beat the life out of him with his pipe. "Because if you are, I could give him give a few love taps with my pipe. Or I could call the mafia to get a hit out on him. They still owe me a few favors. They might even kill France for free if I ask them politely."

A bark of laughter left Alfred, but he shook his head. "No, don't do that. We don't need the rest of the world knowing we know the mafia."

"So the love taps are still an option?" Ivan asked hopefully. Alfred gave Ivan an exasperated look.

"Is violence your go to answer for everything?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the taller nation.

"Well, it has worked well for me in the past." Ivan said with a smile.

"You're a weirdo, you know that?"

"I do not hear you saying that it is off the table."

Alfred gave Ivan a tired smile. "Would it be bad of me to say that I might look the other way if you did do that?"

"Not at all. You have been betrayed by someone close to you. It is only natural that you would be angry at them. What concerns me," Ivan said, fixing Alfred with a look that Alfred couldn't read, "is that instead of being mad at him, you blamed yourself for his actions."

"Well, people do tend to blame me when things go wrong. I guess I picked up on it after awhile." Alfred said with a shrug.

"What you need to do is crush your enemies until they stop blaming you." Ivan said with a wide smile. "It works wonders for getting your frustrations out."

"Dude, seriously, stop telling me violence is the answer. It's concerning." Alfred said with a small chuckle. "Besides," America said with a shrug, "when I go after people I don't like, I usually don't go to violence. I go after their lives, their jobs, their sense of security, and then send a bunch of law suits at them."

"Ah yes, the famous American pass time." Ivan said with a chuckle. "Suing everyone and everything."

"Everyone needs a hobby." Alfred joked.

"So, are you going to sue France and Japan for invading our privacy?" Ivan asked. Alfred's good mood quickly faded as his shoulders slumped again, and he stared down at his ice cream silently again.

"Oh please." Ivan sighed, picking up his spoon with a sigh. "You really cannot still be upset about Japan."

"Actually, I've been wondering why he would follow me at all." Alfred admitted, finally picking up his own spoon and sticking it into his half melted ice cream with a small frown. "I can't figure out his reasoning. I mean, France wanted to know if we were dating, but Japan wouldn't have been following France just because he was worried we were dating. And I can't figure out what I did to piss him off, so he couldn't have been angry at me. So why would he do that?"

Ivan couldn't help stare at Alfred in disbelief. He had know Alfred hadn't been interested in dating, but he couldn't be that dense. How long had he been around Japan? Japan hadn't been that good at hiding his feelings.

"Maybe he was worried about me?" Alfred wondered out loud, a thoughtful look on his face as he started to eat his dessert. "I mean, I know he doesn't like you very much, and he is my friend. I mean, unless he decided to just fuck with me, which I don't think he would do, he could have just wanted to make sure you weren't up to anything.

"Oh, he defiantly would want to fuck with you." Ivan said with a snort of laughter.

"Huh? Why would he do that?" Alfred asked, looking at Ivan in confusion.

"Because he sees you as a _VERY_ good friend." Ivan said with a large smile.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Alfred asked, getting frustrated at Ivan. "What does being a good friend have to do with fucking with me?"

Ivan burst into hysterical laughter. Alfred glowered at him as he struggled to not pass out from the lack of oxygen.

"What on earth has gotten into you?" Alfred asked with a scowl as Ivan tried to not fall out of his seat.

"Oh, you really are dense." Ivan snickered after getting himself together again, and pulling himself back into his seat again.

"You know, I don't think you're taking this very seriously." Alfred said with a glare, but Ivan saw a bit of hurt in Alfred's eyes. Feeling a little bad for laughing, Ivan sighed and looked Alfred straight his the eyes.

"Japan wants to fuck you." He said seriously.

Alfred froze, and Ivan swore he could see his brain blue screening. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, and then he made a very strange strangled noise as his face started to pale.

"Uh, Alfred?" Ivan said, starting to get worried.

Alfred took a deep breath. The he looked at Ivan, his body so tense it was like he was one second from either punching him or fleeing the restaurant. "Ivan, I swear, if you are fucking with me, I'm going to kick your ass."

"I'm not the one who's trying to fuck you. That would be Japan." Ivan scoffed. "Have you really not noticed?"

"How the hell," Alfred sputtered, his voice growing higher with each word, "would I notice my best friend trying to fuck me!?"

"Well, he always hangs out with you, he gets very jealous if you hang out with any other nations that may hit on you, he always talks about you, he always shows you his new robots and video games to you first, he's always in a better mood after he talks with you, he looks at your butt when you leave meetings-"

"He does what?!" Alfred squeaked, his face turning bright red.

"Every time." Ivan confirmed. "I am surprised you have not caught him doing it before. To be fair, you do wear your jeans way too tight. It must have been driving him insane."

Alfred's face went even brighter red at that. He started to sputter in protest. "But…but…Japan's never told me he liked me like that! If he liked me, why wouldn't he just tell me?!"

"I couldn't tell you." Ivan said with a shrug. "But I'm not surprised he followed us. I mean, think about it. He hears that his best friend and secret crush is now rooming with his worst enemy, and then a rumor comes out the two of us are dating. Then to top it off, he sees us go on a 'date'," Ivan said with a roll of his eyes, making air quotations with his hands, "and sees us having a good time. His worst fears have been confirmed, and his heart is broken."

The more Ivan spoke, the paler Alfred's face became.

"Then, he goes to the world meeting, and what does he see? You finding out he betrayed your trust, and your friendship breaking apart. Then you defend me, and then tell the rest of the world to not call me a communist. After that, you storm out of the room, not even bothering to look back at him. I wouldn't be surprised if he broke down crying after you left." Ivan couldn't help but feel a little smug as he said that last part. Served Japan right, after he had stalked them like that.

"I…I…" Alfred said weakly, staring at Ivan with a completely lost expression, searching Ivan's face for any trace of a lie. Apparently, he didn't find one, as he put his head in hands and didn't say anything for a minute. Ivan didn't say anything, letting the younger nation try and absorb the news. When Alfred lifted his hands out of his hands, he looked completely and utterly defeated and broken.

"I never knew. All this time, and I never even noticed." Alfred said quietly.

"Would you have dated him if you knew?" Ivan asked, feeling bad for the shorter nation.

Alfred didn't answer right away, looking down at the table with a blank expression. Then with a bitter sigh, he shook his head. "No. No, for as much as I like Japan as a friend, I never saw him that way. I couldn't have. Because I…" but Alfred words trailed off, and he just shook his head. "He was nothing more than my best friend. But now I don't know what to think. What if he only hung out with me because he loved me? What if when I tell him I'm not interested, he stops talking to me?"

"Then he is more of a fool than I originally thought." Ivan said with a scowl. "If he decides that he would walk away from your friendship, I say that it is only his loss. If he was only ever using you, you should not be sorry to see him go."

"But I don't want to see him go. He's my best friend." Alfred said miserably. "I really like him as my best friend."

"It is his fault for not being honest with you in the first place." Ivan said with a huff. "If he had just told you how he felt, you would not have gotten hurt.

Alfred didn't say anything, then he looked up at Ivan, and Ivan was surprised to see anger flaring up behind Alfred's eyes. "You know, this is why I don't deal with all this love bullshit." He said with a bitter laugh. It didn't sound like any of his laughs he had ever had before. It sounded angry, sad, and scared all at once. "Because love only messes shit up."

"In this case, it did." Ivan corrected. "Love doesn't always hurt people."

"It does for me!" Alfred yelled, slamming his fists onto the table. The ice cream toppled over, and Alfred's fists left indents on the metal table. Ivan stared at Alfred in shock, and Alfred, realizing he might said too much and gone too far, sighed. He looked down at his ice cream, which had started to drip off the table. "Well, so much for that." He muttered.

Ivan didn't know what to do as Alfred started to clean up the mess he made. Clearly Alfred had let slip something he didn't actually want to talk about, and he had been acting strange with some of the conversations they'd been having lately.

Just as Alfred had finished cleaning the spilled ice cream, Ivan made a decision. But before he could say anything, the door of the restaurant flew open, and Canada walked in. He scanned the room, and when he spotted them, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Al, I've been looking for you everywhere." He said running over to their table. Alfred gave his twin a look of disbelief.

"Mattie, don't take this the wrong way because I really am happy to see you, but how the hell did you find us? Because I thought I made it kind of clear that I didn't want anyone following me." Alfred asked, squinting suspiciously up at his brother.

"Please." Canada scoffed, folding his arms. "How long have I known you? I know when you're upset that you binge eat ice cream and sulk. I've been looking all around the area for ice cream shops, and here I am."

"Please don't tell me you brought England with you." Alfred said, looking around in a panic. "Because I really don't want him causing a scene public. I mean, if he stabbed Ivan here there would probably be a shit storms the likes we've never seen before."

"No, he's not here." Canada said, suddenly looking sheepish. He put his arms behind his back and tapped his foot nervously. "I might have…let's see… how do I put this?"

"Mattie?" Alfred asked, giving his brother a confused frown.

"I basically told him to grow the fuck up, and to stop trying to protect you like when we were little, because you can take care of yourself. Then I told him to stay at the hotel until he could talk to you like an adult."Canada said, giving his brother an uneasy smile and a slight shrug.

Alfred was, for what felt like the hundredth time that day, shocked. "No way." He said without thinking. "Did you really?"

"Yep. I left him gaping like a fish." Canada said with a huff of laughter, sitting down next to Ivan.

"Did you give France a piece of your mind as well?" Alfred asked eagerly, the first genuine smile Ivan had seen all day growing on his face. Ivan was rather relived to see it. It suited him better than anger.

"Well, no." Canada said with a sudden frown. "He's disappeared. No one has any idea where he went, and we suspect that he's gone into hiding until this whole thing has blown over."

"Shame." Alfred said, looking disappointed, but not surprised.

"I shall enjoy hunting him." Ivan said, a dark smile growing on his face.

"Can I join you?" Alfred asked. "It's been awhile since I've gone hunting."

"I would not say no to the company." Ivan said with a slight smirk.

"Um, Al…" Canada said, getting Alfred's attention. "Are you ok? You ran out of the meeting acting really angry. I was worried."

Alfred considered lying and saying he was fine, but he didn't feel like lying to his brother. "No, not really." Alfred admitted, looking back down at the table with a grimace. "Apparently, Japan had a crush on me since forever and I never noticed, the world thinks I'm insane and dating Ivan, Ivan's sister wants to use my face as a knife sharpener, and I'm probably going to get a call any minute from my boss chewing me out for throwing the meeting into chaos again."

"So, to summarize, you're fucked." Canada said with a pitying look. Then his eye widened. "Wait, since when have you noticed Japan crushing on you?"

Alfred threw his hands up in defeat. "Ok, did everyone BUT me know about Japan's crush on me?!"

"Yes." Ivan confirmed. When Canada's eyebrow rose, Ivan explained. "I told him about Japan and why he did what he did a few minutes before you got here."

"Ah, ok. That explains how he knows." Canada said with a sigh.

"And just what _are_ we going to do about your sister, now that I think about it?" Alfred asked, turning to face Ivan again. "Any ideas about how I can protect myself from her? And by the way, why are my doors in danger from her?"

"You have seen the Shining?" Ivan asked, pushing his ice cream away from himself with a grimace.

"Yes, and I don't like that you just asked me that."

"You know the scene where he breaks the door down with an ax? She can do that with her bare hands."

"Well shit." Alfred said. "Any way to stop her?"

Ivan gave him a flat look, and Alfred's face fell. "Well, that settles that." Alfred said with a clap of his hands. "Plan B everyone. We're going to the mid west to hide in a corn field until this whole thing smoothes over. I know a lovely one in Utah."

"What is it with you and corn fields?!" Canada asked in exasperation.

"I take it this is not the first time he has done this?" Ivan asked, and Canada rolled his eyes.

"No, it's not. Do you know how fucking long it takes to find him when he does that? Last time it took three months, and the only reason we found him is because he got bored and called me to pick him up."

"Told you it works." Alfred said with a smirk, and it took everything Ivan had not to roll his eyes.

"Al, if you run off now, people are going to really think you've lost your marbles." Canada said with a frown, and Alfred deflated. "I'm pretty sure that half of the other nations really think Russia's either brainwashed you or has some kind dirt on you. No offence." Canada added, giving Russia a sympathetic glance. Ivan just shrugged.

"What are the others doing?" Alfred asked with a frown.

"Well, they started up a new betting pool."

"Ooh, that's exciting." Alfred said, perking up again. "Tell me, has anyone bet on us getting married yet?"

"A few." Canada admitted. "But I heard from Cuba that some of the nations are trying to find you and save you from Russia."

Alfred gave his brother a disbelieving stare. "You're joking, right? I mean, who the hell gives enough of a shit other than you and England to stage a rescue mission?"

"I heard Finland was worried about you. I think he and Sweden are looking for you to check and make sure you're ok. I think they have a soft spot for you, seeing as they did help you a little when you were baby nation. Sweden keeps looking disappointed for some reason, and Finland keeps fretting."

Alfred let out a small chuckle at that. He liked Finland, and was often amused at the fact that Finland had a bad habit of pinching his cheeks and claiming that they had very similar faces. Finland also claimed that since he found him first, he was part of his family. Alfred didn't really know if he joking or not about that, but he appreciated the gesture. On the other hand, Sweden usually just commented that he was happy Alfred was tall now. Alfred had no idea what to think about that comment, so he just agreed with Sweden, which seemed to make the man happy.

"Prussia is convinced that you've lost your mind, and is on a one man manhunt to find you and drag you to the president to sort you out. A lot of other nations are looking for you and Russia for answers, China wants to talk to you for some reason, Germany is demanding everyone meet again sometime during the new year and needs your notes from the last meeting seeing as you stormed out, and few nations, namely the Italian brothers, seem to think that the further they are away from this shit show, the better." Canada explained.

"And what about you?" Ivan asked, looking down at the northern twin. "Are you attempting to save your brother from me?"

Canada snorted. "Please, Al is the last person I need to rescue."

"Thank you!" Alfred said.

"But, just a warning. Any funny business and I'll use your head like a hockey puck." Canada said coolly, looking straight into Ivan's eyes without flinching.

"I don't intend to do anything funny." Ivan assured him.

Canada relaxed and smiled. "That's all I ask." He said pleasantly.

"Why would China want to talk to me?" Alfred asked in confusion.

"I have no idea, but I saw him talking to Japan before I left the meeting."

At the mention of Japan, Alfred's face darkened again. He lowered his eyes to look at the indents on the table he had left, and then down at his lap. Canada spotted the indents in the metal as well, and his face softened. "You don't have to face him right away, you know." He said quietly.

"He's… not looking for me, is he?" Alfred asked hesitantly, not looking up from his lap.

"At the moment, I don't think so." Canada said. "I think he's going to give you some space before he talks to you again.

"That's good." Alfred said, relaxing slightly.

"Look, why don't we go back to your place Al?" Canada asked. "I'll go buy us some more ice cream, and we can watch a movie and get your mind off today. I'm sure Hero is wondering where the can opener went."

Alfred laughed, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready to forget that today ever happened."

As Ivan watched Canada go up to the counter, he couldn't help but feel himself become exhausted. It had been hours since they had left Alfred's apartment, and after all the excitement all he wanted to do was pet Milashka and go to sleep. And hopefully, in the next few days, everything would die down and they could get on with their lives. Hopefully.

 ***SOMEWHEREINRUSSIA***

Boris Petrov had been having a rather dull day. Not that much ever happened in the safe house, seeing as it was supposed to be hidden from everyone in the mafia except for him, the boss, and a few select people. Not that the boss ever called him, seeing as he was too busy running that stupid restaurant in New York for some reason. Not like he would tell him why. At least he was paid well to guard this place.

Sighing, he had started to head over to the T.V. in the other room to see if he keep himself entertained, when he heard three loud knocks at the door. There was a pause, then there was a soft knock followed by a medium knock. That was the code for allies of the organization. Narrowing his eyes, he grabbed his gun off the table and quietly made his way to the front door. Looking out the peep hole, his eyes widened, and quickly putting the gun on his belt he opened the door. When he opened the door, the cold air blew into the room, making the man shiver, but he kept his eyes on the woman on his doorstep.

" _I did not expect you of all people to be here. What do you need?"_ He asked in a trembling voice.

Belarus smirked at the man. _"I am here to call in a favor."_

 **A/N: Guess who's back! And oh dear, nothing is going like I originally thought it would. It's like all the characters have their own agendas or something. Well, sorry to leave things on a cliff hanger, but this is a good place to stop. What will Japan do now? Will England finally get his head out of his ass? When the hell will Russia and America start dating? Will I stop making plot points? Find out next time! Thanks for reading!**


	11. Loneliness is Cold (Day 6 & 7)

Needless to say, Alfred's boss wasn't pleased with him.

" _America, what did you do now?"_ His boss asked in exasperation. _"I've only been the office for half an hour and I've already had hundreds of calls from different nations saying that you've lost your mind! Not to mention something about England attempting to stab Russia, and him actually punching France! Then I hear something about you not wanting to talk to Japan anymore! And what's this about you dating Russia?! I said to get along with the man, not woo him!"_

"No one is wooing anyone, sir." Alfred said with a tired sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He hadn't been home for two minutes before his boss had called him demanding answers. He was currently in his room, and Ivan and Mattie were in the living room picking out a movie to watch. "Well, unless you count Japan trying to flirt with me for the last couple of decades."

His boss didn't answer right away, but he thought he heard something like a sigh. _"America…what is going on?"_ His boss asked, sounding as tired as Alfred felt. So Alfred explained what had been going on for the last week, but he was careful to leave out the part where they had talked to the head of the Russian mafia. It wasn't important, and he really didn't want to get chewed out anymore than he had to. Also, he left out the part about Ivan hugging him. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like it was better to keep that to himself for now. After he was done, his boss was quiet for a moment.

" _Alright, we can work with this."_ He finally said. _"I'll make a few phone calls, and try and do some damage control. But really, if I had known this was going to happen I wouldn't have made Russia room with you."_

"Well, things were going alright before this happened." Alfred said with a shrug, and then realized that his boss couldn't see him.

" _At least that's good. All these rumors haven't damaged your relationship with him any further, have they?"_ His boss asked worriedly.

"No sir." Alfred said quickly.

" _Good. Okay, now what are we going to do about Japan and France?"_ His boss asked, suddenly getting serious.

"Sir?" Alfred asked in confusion, a frown growing on his face.

" _Well, they spied on you and Russia, and started an international panic. We can't over look the fact that they spied on you two, and their actions led to fighting. Not only that, but they put your assignment at risk, and could have made you and Russia start fighting again. Punishments are in order, don't you think?"_

Alfred didn't know what to say to that. Sure, he was incredibly pissed at France and Japan, but he didn't want to see them get in trouble back home. While they both deserved it, he knew that getting governments involved would complicate everything. "Sir, could I make a request?" He finally asked.

" _I don't see why not."_ His boss said cautiously.

"I want to talk to both France and Japan before any action is taken." Alfred said. He swore he could hear his boss's eyebrow rise.

" _What on earth for? Don't tell me you're going out to seek revenge."_

"No, nothing like that." Alfred assured him. "I… just want to talk to them. As Alfred. Not America."

" _Ah, I see."_ His boss's voice softening a little. _"I suppose I can allow that."_

"Plus, it's not like they were spying on me for national secrets or anything." Alfred said with a snort. "Most of the mess's they caused were for personal reasons, not political ones. I don't think the other governments should be involved if they don't have to be."

 _His boss sighed again. "I suppose you have a point. If that's what you want, I'll do my best to keep the peace. But if they cause you any more grief, I'm stepping in whether you like it or not."_

"I appreciate it." Alfred said, his body slumping in relief.

" _I have to go now. Call me if anything happens."_ And with that, his boss hung up. Alfred stared at his phone for a moment, then he closed his eyes and leaned back into his chair, running a tired hand through his hair. While the call had gone well, he was still exhausted by the emotional toil of the day. He glanced at the bed, tempted to skip the movie and go straight to bed, but decided that a distraction would do him some good.

He made his way back towards the living room, and saw Ivan and Mattie arguing over the box of DVD's by the T.V.

"Look, I'm not saying the movie is bad." Canada said in exasperation. "I'm saying it's weird."

"It is not that weird." Ivan argued.

"She falls in love with a fish!"

"He is not a fish, he is an amphibian man!" Ivan tried to explain, but Canada didn't look convinced.

"So, he's a fish with extra steps." Ivan glared at Canada, but he just smirked back at him.

"What on earth are you two talking about?" Alfred asked in amusement, making his way to the couch and sitting in the middle seat.

"Russia wants me to watch a movie about a fish and a woman falling in love." Canada said with a huff.

"Oh, the shape of water?" Alfred asked. "Yeah, that movie was okay, but it was kind of weird."

"Thank you!" Canada said.

Ivan just scowled at them. "Both of you cannot appreciate art."

"Excuse me, you're looking at the movie king." Alfred said with a huff. "I know what good movies look like, thank you very much. But I also have eyes, and that movie was weird. And I don't want to watch anything sappy. I want to watch things blow up."

"Ah, so you want to watch a super hero movie." Canada said, giving his brother a knowing look.

"I want to watch something and not think too hard, yes." Alfred agreed.

"Which super hero are we watching then?" Canada asked, holding up a stack of movies. "And I swear to god, if you say Captain America I'm going to slap you."

"But he's cool!" Alfred said with a pout.

"Al, I love you, but I'm not watching Captain America anymore. Pick someone else or we're watching a fish make out with a human."

"Okay, okay, fine." Alfred grumbled, taking the stack of movies from his brother and looking through them. "What about Batman?"

"I don't like batman." Ivan said.

Alfred let out an offended gasp, and he clutched his chest. He pointed a finger at Ivan and shouted, "Blasphemy! How dare you! Get out of my house!"

"He is too sulky." Ivan said with a shrug.

"Too sulky? Brooding and being serious is his whole fucking character!"Alfred said in exasperation looking at his brother in disbelief.

"I prefer Adam West batman." Canada said with a chuckle.

"I'm surrounded by traitors." Alfred grumbled, throwing a DVD case at Ivan, who didn't even bother blocking it. "Well, what superhero's do you like?" He asked Ivan.

"I like Black Widow and the Winter soldier."

"You only like them because they're Russian or speak Russian." Alfred said in an accusing tone.

"You only like Captain America because he's American and sort of looks like you." Ivan pointed out.

"Okay, yeah, you have a point." Alfred admitted, a smile growing on his face. Canada sighed, seeing where this was going.

"Al…" Canada warned, narrowing his eyes at his brother, who's smile kept growing.

"So, I know a movie that has Black Widow and Captain America-"

"Oh my god." Canada groaned as America held up the movie in his hands. "No."

"Aw come on Mattie." Alfred said, giving his brother puppy eyes. "I've had a really shitty day, and I want to cheer myself up. Come on, I know you like the movie. Pleeeasseee?" Alfred asked, drawing out the please.

"I vote yes." Ivan said, bringing up his hand.

"Fine." Canada sighed, and Alfred let out a whoop and bounced over to the DVD player. "But after this, we're watching X-men."

"You only like Wolverine because he's Canadian!"

"Like you two can talk!"

After they had gotten everything set up and the popcorn was made, Alfred found himself enjoying himself. He hadn't thought that he would be in any sort of good mood after the meeting, but he found himself slowly relaxing and joking with the other two as the movie played. At some point, he had leaned against Ivan's side without thinking about it, and they were sharing a popcorn bowl because Alfred was too lazy to refill his own, much to his brother's amusement. Soon, Hero and Milashka were draped over their laps, purring happily away like small car engines.

At some point into the third movie, Canada had dozed off, and Alfred wasn't far behind. Ivan's body was really warm, and with Hero warming lap he was very comfy. As he was about to drop off, Ivan spoke up.

"Alfred?"

"Hmm?"

"I would like to thank you for standing up for me."

Alfred smiled a little. "No problem."

Ivan didn't say anything for a moment. Alfred had almost fallen asleep again when he spoke up again. "You didn't have too." Ivan said quietly. "I would not have minded if you had called me a commie so the others would not think you to be crazy."

"Don't be stupid. You're my friend now." Alfred said warmly, surprising Ivan. "And I don't call my friends commies."

Ivan didn't reply, but adjusted himself so Alfred was more comfortable. As he drifted off, Alfred guessed that was his way of saying thanks.

 _ ***THENEXTDAY***_

Alfred woke up slowly, not exactly sure where he was for a second. Opening his eyes, he squinted at the TV., which was still had the movie menu playing. Ah, so he had fallen asleep on the couch. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around. On his left, Mattie was snoring away still, Hero sleeping under his chin. Milashka was curled up on his legs. Alfred let out an amused chuckle at how silly his brother looked. Glancing over to his right, he saw he was still leaning against Ivan, whose head was resting on top of his. Alfred couldn't help but smile fondly at the scene. If someone had told him a few weeks ago he and Ivan would be hanging out like this, he would have called that person insane.

It was nice to have another friend. He didn't have many of them. Then his mood soured as his mind jumped to Japan. His, (former?), best friend. Sighing, he closed his eyes again. He really didn't want to think about him right now. But at the same time, he knew he had to address the problem sooner rather than later. He sat there for a minute, debating if he should get up or go back to sleep, but the caffeine headache eventually got him to poke Ivan's shoulder.

"Hey, get off of me. I need coffee." Alfred said.

Ivan groaned, and opened one eye and gave Alfred an unimpressed look. "No." Then he closed his eye again.

"Come on dude." Alfred whined, swatting at the taller nations arm. "I need to get up. I'm getting a headache."

"That is what you get for depending on caffeine." Ivan said, refusing to budge.

"Mattie, get up and help me." Alfred said, smacking his brother's leg. Canada jerked awake, and in surprise Hero jumped, head butting Canada's chin.

"Wha-?" Canada said in confusion, looking down at Hero, who started to meow loudly. He started pawing Canada's face.

"Oh good. You're up." Alfred said with a smirk. "Would you mind either helping me get Ivan off me or bringing me a cup of coffee?"

"You're an ass, you know that Al?" Canada grumbled, running his hand down his face.

"I'm serious. I need coffee." Alfred said.

"Russia, get off my brother." Canada said in a flat voice.

"But I am comfy." Ivan grumbled. Then with a smirk, he pushed Alfred onto the floor. Alfred let out a squawk as he hit the floor. "There, you are now free to get your coffee." He said with a chuckle. Canada laughed as Alfred glared at both of them.

"You're both evil. Absolutely evil." He muttered as he got up and stretched. He stumbled into the kitchen and started up the coffee machine. Hero ran in after him, and after he bit Alfred's feet a few times, Alfred fed him and Milashka, who had wandered in after Hero. After a few minutes, Canada and Ivan wandered into the kitchen, yawning and stretching.

"I want pancakes." Alfred said. "And this time, I don't want them to be full of deceit."

"Fine." Canada grumbled, going through his fridge and pulling out a juice carton.

Alfred beamed at his brother, who just rolled his eyes and ruffled his brother's hair. "I swear Al, you could take down army's with that smile."

"I'm adorable." Alfred agreed, sticking his tongue out at him playfully.

"Uh-huh." Canada said, pulling out pans. "So, what are you two going to do today?"

"I am not sure." Ivan admitted, taking a seat at the table. His hair was sticking up in places. "But it may not be wise for us to go out so soon. The others are still looking for us after all."

Alfred frowned in irritation and shook his head. "Nope. I'm not hiding in my house for the next month. If they want to find us, let them. We'll just keep dodging them until we lose them or they lose interest."

"Al, if you do go out, you might run into…"

"I know." Alfred said, not looking up from his coffee. "But I'm not sitting around and waiting either."

Canada sighed, but he let the subject drop.

"So, any ideas about where you want to go today?" Alfred asked Ivan.

Ivan glanced out the window, and saw that it was snowing. He hummed, thinking for a moment, and then he looked back at Alfred. "I want to go back to central park."

Alfred perked up at the suggestion. "Hey, that's a good idea! I can practice my ice skating."

"Oh yeah, Russia told me you learned to skate." Canada said, pausing his cooking for a second.

Alfred's smile lit up the room. Ivan liked it. He didn't see much of his smiles before, as before they hadn't liked each other. "Mattie, it was so fun! I fell down a few times, but Ivan was a really good teacher and he-" As he spoke, Canada finished the breakfast and they sat down to eat. After an hour, they all got showered and dressed, and then Canada said that he had to leave.

"Don't go." Alfred whined, but Canada just chuckled at his brother's disappointment. "Al, I'll be back in a few days, ok? I'm just worried about France. No one's seen him since yesterday and I have to make sure England hasn't killed him yet."

"You should leave him to be buried in the snow." Ivan growled from the kitchen table, where he was reading the newspaper.

Canada just shook his head in amusement, and after giving his brother one last hug, he left. Alfred pouted at the door from the couch.

"You look like a dog whose master has left for work." Ivan joked.

"We never spend enough time together." Alfred complained.

Ivan just shook his head in amusement.

"So, what's going on in the world?" Alfred asked curiously, looking at Ivan's newspaper in interest.

"Nothing of any importance." Ivan said with a shrug. "Petty theft and muggings seem to be a problem lately."

"Yeah, I heard about that the other day." Alfred said with a small frown. "Well, it is the city." He said with a shrug. "It goes up and down."

Ivan hummed in agreement, looking up at the clock. "Shall we get going? We do not want to be outside while it is dark outside."

"Why? Scared that you'll be robbed?" Alfred asked with a grin.

Ivan snorted. "They would not have the courage to approach me."

"Too true." Alfred said with a laugh.

They got ready to go out, Ivan in his usual coat, scarf, and coat. Alfred had his heaviest coat on, as well as earmuffs, scarf, gloves, and hat. Ivan just shook his head.

"What?" Alfred asked as they walked down to the lobby.

"How are you so affected by the cold?" Ivan asked curiously. "You have many states that are up north, as well as some that are farther north that parts of Canada. Not to mention Alaska."

Alfred shrugged. "I've never been able to stand the cold for too long. I guess Canada hogged that ability when we were born."

"Were you born at the same time?" Ivan asked.

"To tell you the truth, I have no idea." Alfred said with a small frown. "I actually didn't meet him until I was living with England. For all I know, we could have been born at the same time, or one of us is older by a few years. My theory is because he takes up the whole northern part of North America, he got the cold resistance, while I turn into a Popsicle every winter."

Ivan snorted with laughter as they walked into the lobby. Out of habit, Ivan looked over to the front desk, and saw Greg looking tired and drinking a giant cup of coffee.

"Hey Greg!" Alfred said happily, waving at the tired man. Greg jumped slightly, then relaxed when he saw who was talking to him.

"Alfred." He said, trying and failing to cover a long yawn.

"Rough night?" Alfred asked sympathetically.

"Had a project I couldn't put off." Greg grumbled. "I've been up all night overseeing it. Where are you two heading?"

"Just heading out to the park." Alfred said with a shrug. Greg seemed to relax at the news, which made Ivan frown.

"Well, don't stay out for too long." Greg said happily. "I heard a bad snow storm is going to hit tonight."

"Will do." Alfred said with a final wave, and they stepped out into the snow fall. It had lightened up since that morning, and the snowflakes were falling lazily around them. Alfred looked up to admire them, and Ivan felt himself doing the same. He didn't often admire the snow. Those days had long since passed. But even he had to admit that by themselves, snowflakes were rather pretty.

They made small talk as they walked to the park. Alfred would point out a few stores that he liked, and suggested that they go into some of them after they left the park. Ivan asked Alfred about the history of the city, and Alfred excitably told him about everything they passed. There weren't as many people out today, so they took their time getting to the park.

When they reached the park, Ivan saw that the ground was covered in about a foot of snow off the paths. Alfred noticed this as well, and with a large grin, he ran off the path and into the snow.

"We're going to build a snowman." Alfred said happily.

"Really?" Ivan asked in amusement, not following Alfred into the snow.

"Come on." Alfred huffed, gesturing to all of the untouched snow around him. "Are you telling me that you see all this perfectly good snow, and you _don't_ think about building a snowman?"

"No." Ivan said. Alfred puffed out his cheeks in irritation, and then he marched over and grabbed Ivan's arm and dragged him into the snow with him. "Come on, Mr. Boring. I'm going to teach you to have some fun." Ivan just laughed in response.

It didn't take them very long to make it, seeing as there was plenty of snow. They built it so it was tall as Ivan, and Alfred was able to find some sticks under the snow near some trees, but Ivan realized they had a problem. "We have nothing to make a face with." Ivan said with a frown.

"Don't worry about that." Alfred said, pulling out a few bottle caps from his pocket.

"Why do you have those?" Ivan asked.

"For snow man emergencies." Alfred said, giving Ivan a serious look.

"Snow man Emergencies." Ivan said, giving the shorter nation a look that was a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"You never know when you'll have to build one." Alfred said with a nod, turning around and putting them on the snowman.

"If you are so prepared, why not carry coal?" Ivan asked with a snort of laughter.

"Who the hell has coal just lying around?" Alfred shot back. "This is the twenty first century Grandpa."

"Are you calling me old?" Ivan asked, and Alfred looked back at him and gave him a shit eating grin. "Why, I would never. At most, I'd call you middle aged."

Ivan glared at Alfred, who burst out laughing. When he turned around to work on the face again, Ivan looked down at the snow covered ground.. Then with a smirk, he grabbed a handful of snow, and made a snowball. Walking casually up to Alfred, he stuffed the snowball down the back of Alfred's coat. Alfred shrieked as the cold ice fell down his back, and he turned around and glared at Ivan.

"That was cold man." He said with a pout.

"As cold as my shriveled heart." Ivan quipped back with a smile.

For his trouble, he got a snowball thrown in his face. This started an hour long snow ball fight. They had built their forts in less than five minutes, and were ducking, weaving, and laughing with large smiles on their faces. At one point, Alfred and Ivan started to throw larger and larger snowballs, until they were as big as their heads. Unfortunately, the snowman became a casualty in their battle when Ivan accidently knocked his head off. Alfred swore to avenge him and threw a snowball so large it destroyed Ivan's fort. Their battle had almost turned into an all out war, but they stopped when Alfred tripped and fell into a snow bank, and his whole body was swallowed up in the snow. Due to how heavy his jacket was, he couldn't get up, so Ivan was declared the winner by default.

"Have a good trip?" Ivan asked as he helped Alfred up. His cheeks were red from the cold, his glasses were tilted and a little fogged up, and he was shivering slightly and he had snow all over him, especially in his hair and eyelashes. But he was all smiles.

"Yep." He said cheerfully, and then with a smirk, he grabbed Ivan and dragged him back onto the ground with him, making Ivan face plant into the snow bank as well. "I hope you enjoyed yours."

Ivan chuckled as he lifted his head up off the ground and saw Alfred grinning over him. "I take this is revenge for this morning."

"Yep." Alfred said. Then with a happy sigh, down next to Ivan and looked up at the sky again. Ivan didn't know why Alfred would want to sit in the snow, but he got up so he was sitting next to him. The snow was starting to fall faster now.

"Why do you keep looking up at the sky?" Ivan asked curiously.

"Because I like watching the snow fall." Alfred said with a shrug.

"Would you not get bored after awhile?"

"Bored?" Alfred asked, sounding like Ivan's question was the silliest thing he ever heard. "Never."

"But why?" Ivan asked with a frown.

"Because it's pretty." Alfred said with a soft smile.

Ivan looked up again, and saw the flakes dancing in the wind around them. A few landed on his eyelashes, and he blinked them away. "But you do not like cold things."

"I don't being cold." Alfred corrected him. "But I do like cold things. I love snow. I love ice cream. I like ice. I like ice skating. And I actually do like winter, because if you think about it, it's really the warmest season."

Ivan gave Alfred a confused look. "The warmest season?"

Alfred chuckled. "You know, because the warmest things come out in winter."

Ivan tilted his head in confusion.

"Heated blankets. Warm drinks. Hot chocolate." Alfred explained, his smile growing larger with each word. "Warm meals that fill you up. A warm cat that sleeps in your lap. Holidays that celebrate giving to others, new beginnings, and love. Fire places that when set alight warm a whole room. Tree's that you decorate so they look alive. Not to mention that some of the warmest clothing is worn this time of year. So yeah, it's the warmest season."

Ivan threw his head back and laughed. "That is a very interesting way to look at it." He admitted.

"Maybe that's why you're so warm." Alfred said with a grin.

"Me?" Ivan asked in surprise.

"Dude, you're practically a toaster a times." Alfred said.

"I was not aware I was a warm person." Ivan said with a snort of laughter.

"Dude, last night you were almost as warm as Hero was on my lap."

"Most people call me cold." Ivan said with a slight frown.

"Have they ever gotten a hug from you before?"

"No…"

"Well, screw them." Alfred said with a wink. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. We have to keep your scary reputation up after all."

"I appreciate that." Ivan said with a huff, getting up out of the snow. Looking down, he saw Alfred was shivering pretty badly. He helped the shorter nation up.

"We should go and get something warm to drink." Ivan suggested.

"Dude, that's an awesome idea." Alfred said, wrapping his arms around himself as he shivered again. "There's a coffee shop near here. It shouldn't be too busy."

They made their way to a small café near the park, and as soon as they walked in Alfred sighed in relief as the warm air washed over him. Ivan brushed the snow off his shoulders and they ordered their drinks. Alfred had ordered a large hot chocolate and Ivan ordered some tea. They had just sat down in when the door opened again. They didn't pay any attention to it, until they heard someone clearing their throat above them. Looking up, Alfred almost choked on his drink when he saw Sweden looming over him with his usual glare.

"Dude, you got to quit sneaking up on people!" Alfred coughed, trying to clear his throat. He heard a laugh, and saw Finland walk out from behind Sweden, shaking his head.

"I told you to say something." Finland said to Sweden.

"Sorry."Sweden mumbled, looking embarrassed.

"Alfred, how are you doing?" Finland asked happily, reaching over and pinching Alfred's cheek playfully. "I see you're all pink from the cold."

"My cheeks are pink because you won't stop pinching them." Alfred whined.

"But they're so squishy, I can't help myself." Finland said with a chuckle. "We aren't intrupting, are we?"

"Not at all." Ivan said, eyeing the couple warily. He didn't like the look Sweden was giving him.

"Why don't you sit down with us?" Alfred asked, gesturing to the chairs next to them.

"Thank you." Finland said happily, and they sat down. Sweden was sitting next to Alfred, and Finland sat next to Russia.

"So, how are you two doing?" Finland asked casually, giving Alfred a soft look. "You both had a hard time at the meeting yesterday after all."

"As well as I could be." Alfred said with an uncomfortable shrug.

"Fine." Ivan said, and he saw Sweden's eyes glance at him in disapproval. He had no idea what his problem was, so he chose to ignore him.

"Alfred." Finland said with a sigh, putting down the drink he was holding. He looked at Alfred with a comforting look. "I'm really happy for you."

"What?" Alfred asked, thrown off.

"While I was shocked at first, I know that you didn't want to announce you were dating Russia just yet, and that France put you two into a tight spot. But you don't have to hide it anymore."

Alfred stared at Finland with his mouth open, and Ivan was sure his face must have looked similar because Finland started to laugh.

"Of course, I was surprised to see you and Japan had broken up-" Alfred made a choking noise, and Finland took his hand and patted it sympathetically. Ivan suddenly had a sneaking suspicion about why Sweden was glaring at him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up." Finland said quickly. "It must have hurt you so much when you found out Japan was following you."

"Yeah."Alfred agreed, not sure what else to say. When the hell did that rumor start!?

"Of course, I'm happy for you as well Russia." Finland said, coolly looking over at Ivan, and Ivan had a sudden urge to sink under the table. "Ah, well-" Ivan started to say, but Finland quickly cut him off. "I hope," he said, still giving Ivan that same cool look, "that you aren't giving Alfred any trouble?"

"I am not." Ivan said honestly.

Finland hummed to himself, his gaze searching for something, before he nodded once and looked back at Alfred with that sympathetic look again.

"Finland, I think-" Alfred said, trying to explain to Finland that he wasn't dating anyone, but Finland cut him off before he could say anything else.

"I'm actually glad I ran into you. England's hasn't been acting right since the meeting." He said with a sigh, letting Alfred's hand go and leaning back into his chair. "He's refusing to talk to anyone, and has locked himself in his hotel."

"He wouldn't let Canada in." Sweden said.

"That's because Canada yelled at him. He's just sulking." Alfred said with a sigh. "But really, what did he expect, running into the meeting like that while he was sick? Did he think that he was going to be my white knight or something?"

"I'm worried about him." Finland said. "I doubt he's taking care of himself, and I don't want him to hurt himself. Would you mind talking to him?"

Alfred scowled. "I'll think about it, but I don't want to talk to him right now. If he admits that he was wrong, I'll go over and talk to him, but not before that."

"I guess that's the best we can ask for." Finland said with a sigh.

"Japan is also acting strange." Sweden added, and Ivan swore he saw a flash of anger in Sweden's eyes directed at him. "No one knows where he went."

"What?" Ivan asked sharply, looking over at Sweden. Sweden just looked at him coldly. "We thought Russia might know where he went."

"And why," Ivan asked, starting to get pissed off at Sweden's accusation, "would I want to know where Japan is?"

"Maybe you decided to deal with him yourself." Sweden said.

"Berwald!" Finland said sharply. Sweden flinched, but he didn't say anything. "That's enough."

"Ivan couldn't have done anything to Japan." Alfred said quickly, seeing that Ivan was getting angry. "He's been with me since yesterday. And anyways, I've never dated Japan!"

Finland and Sweden stared at Alfred. "You've never dated him?" Finland asked, looking shocked.

"I didn't even know he liked me like that until yesterday." Alfred admitted, his shoulders slumping. "Ivan explained to me why Japan was following me yesterday. It was…shocking to say the least."

Finland sighed, and patted America on the arm sadly. "I have to say, that was the worst time to find out about something like that. But you were so close! I thought for sure something was happening between you two."

"He should have said something." Sweden muttered under his breath. Finland and Alfred didn't hear him, but Ivan did, and he threw Sweden an annoyed look.

"No, he was just my best friend." Alfred sighed. "Now I don't know what we are."

Finland sighed, and turned to look at Ivan. "How are your sisters's taking the news?"

"Ukraine is taking it well, but Belarus was not happy." Ivan said with a pained look. "Ukraine is, how should we say, on guard duty until I can get back home to deal with her."

"Is that why they weren't at the meeting?" Finland asked with a wince.

"I didn't think letting my younger sister near Alfred was a great idea." Ivan admitted.

"How long has Japan been missing?" Alfred asked worriedly.

"He was last seen leaving his hotel with his things yesterday. I think China was yelling at him as he was leaving, but he won't tell anyone what they were arguing about."

"So, he's running away." Ivan snorted.

"It looks that way." Finland said with a nod.

"What, you mean he's gone home?!" Alfred asked in disbelief. "He's just given up and left the fucking country?!"

"Alfred." Sweden said sadly, but Alfred stood up suddenly, anger dancing behind his eyes. His hands were balled up into fists, and he was shaking with rage.

"No. He doesn't get to run away." Alfred spat. He stormed towards the door, and Ivan stood up to follow him, but Alfred put up a hand to stop him. "I'm not going anywhere, I'm just going to try and call him." Alfred explained. "I'm just stepping outside."

Ivan nodded, and Alfred left the store, slamming the door behind him. Ivan sighed, and he slowly sat back down, running a hand down his face tiredly. Finland sighed, and stood up as well. "I think it's best if we left."

"I think that would be for the best." Ivan agreed.

"I'm sorry if we ruined your day." Sweden muttered as he stood up.

"It's not you who has ruined anything." Ivan said with a scowl. "When I get my hands on France, he will wish he was never born."

"And Japan?" Sweden asked curiously.

"That is not for me to decide." Ivan said, his eyes wandering to the door.

Finland shook his head. "Take care of him. We'll be watching out for him. You do anything to hurt him, and we'll be one of the first ones to protect him."

"We'll be keeping an eye on you." Sweden warned, and with that, they left the store. Ivan sat in shock for a second, before he let out a groan, and slammed his head down on the table. With everything that had gone on, they had forgotten to tell them they weren't dating. Damn it. He needed something stronger than tea to deal with this.

 ***OUTSIDETHESTORE***

Alfred stormed into the alleyway next to the store, and pulled out his phone. He angrily dialed Japan's number and tapped his foot impatiently, glaring at the stone wall in front of him. He couldn't believe it! Japan wasn't someone who ran away! He wasn't a fucking coward! He wouldn't run away. He wouldn't. He couldn't. Because that would be the same as giving up on their friendship.

The more the phone rang, the angrier and nervous Alfred became. Finally, the voice went to voice mail.

" _We're sorry, the person you are trying to call can't come to the phone right now."_ The happy robot voice said. So he tried again.

" _We're sorry, the person you are trying to call-"_

And again.

" _We're sorry, the person-"_

" _We're sorry-"_

" _We're sorry-"_

 _We're sorry-"_

And again. And again. And again. Until finally, he got a different answer.

" _The number you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please try again later."_

Alfred stared down at the phone is disbelief. Did that bastard really just turn off his fucking phone?! Then he got a small ping on his phone. Japan's message came up. He opened it quickly, and felt his heart stop.

" _ **Please stop trying to contact me. I'm sorry. Goodbye."**_

Alfred stared at the message for a moment. He felt his mind go blank. His stomach twisted painfully, and it felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He let his phone drop into the snow, and he suddenly realized how cold he was. He had left his coat in the café. That was kind of stupid. He suddenly laughed at the thought, his eyes getting foggy for some reason. Maybe the cold was fogging them up. He stumbled back against the wall, and took them off and started to try and clean them. But the longer he tried to wipe them, the blurrier they became much to his frustration. Finally, a sob escaped him and he slid down the wall, putting his head onto his knees. And then he cried. He cried because he was angry. He cried because he was frustrated. He cried because he just lost his best friend.

He sat there for a few minutes, just quietly crying, until he heard footsteps approaching him. He didn't bother to look up. He knew who it was. He heard a quiet sigh, and felt his jacket being draped gently his shoulders. He heard him sitting next to him, and then he was gently pulled into a hug, and he started sobbing again.

"He was a bigger fool than I realized." Ivan said with a sigh.

"I don't understand." Alfred sobbed, clinging onto Ivan's jacket. "Why couldn't he just tell me!?"

"He was an idiot in love." Ivan said, looking down at Alfred with pity. "And now he's just an idiot."

"I hate love. I hate it so much."Alfred spat, burying his face in Ivan's coat.

"Don't say that." Ivan said quietly, running a hand through Alfred's hair, brushing the snow off as he did so. "If you go down that road, you might never come back. I have been down that road, and I will tell you that it hurts far more than anything else in the world. Loneliness is colder than any blizzard or wind. It will tear you apart from the inside, and leave with you nothing. And you still have people who truly love you. What about your brother? What about England, in his strange way? What about Finland and Sweden, who just threatened me with the promise of violence if I tried to hurt you?"

Alfred didn't say anything for a moment, and then he let out a weak chuckle. "No way, they threatened you?"

"If looks could kill, Sweden would have reduced me to ashes." Ivan confirmed with his own chuckle. "I believe this is the third shovel talk I have received, seeing as England threatened me with a sword, and your brother threatened to behead me."

"Can't wait for mine." Alfred joked, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Maybe from my older sister, but I think you can skip Belarus." Ivan teased. Alfred laughed and relaxed a bit, but Ivan could feel him violently shivering so he decided it was time for them to get up. He gently helped Alfred up, and after Alfred put his coat and hat on properly again, Ivan pushed him towards the street, and hailed a cab. "I'm sorry I keep crying on you." Alfred said with an embarrassed cough as the cab pulled up.

"Think nothing of it." Ivan said with a smirk. "What is the use of having friends if you cannot cry on them sometimes?" Alfred's only reply was to laugh.

The ride back to the apartment building was quiet, only the sound of Alfred sniffing once and awhile breaking the silence. Ivan was looking out the window, trying to suppress his anger. But he was more than angry, he was feeling murderous. How dare Japan treat Alfred like that?! Ivan would have killed to have friends at one point in his life, and now that Alfred was actually his friend he would never abandon him like that. Did he truly not care for Alfred as a friend, even after all this time? What the hell was the point of loving Alfred if he didn't even value the friendship they had first?

When they pulled up to the apartments, Alfred went straight towards the doors, but Ivan didn't follow him. Confused, Alfred looked back at Ivan, who waved him ahead. "I have to make a phone call." Ivan explained.

"Don't be too long." Alfred said with a shrug, and he walked inside. Ivan sighed, and pulled out his phone. He had a call to make.

 ***CHINA'SHOTELROOM***

"THAT GODDAMNED IDIOT!" China shouted, hanging up his phone and pulling at his hair. "I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

 ***SOMEWHEREINNEWYORK***

"So," Lebedev said with a frown, cigarette held lazily in his hands, looking at the nervous lackey in front of him. "Boris said that that woman came to visit?"

"Yes boss." The lackey said.

"What did she want? She got a hit for us?"

The lackey hesitated for a moment. "In a way, boss. She wants us to follow her brother and his friend."

That got Lebedev's attention. "Friend?"

"She said his name was Alfred Johns." The lackey said, pulling out a photo and putting it on his desk. Lebedev picked up the photo and he started laughing. "Well, looks like this going to be an interesting case." He said with a dangerous smile.

"Boss?"

"You remember that kid I had the guys look up on the other day? You know, the home designer? The one that came up clean?"

"Yeah, what about him?" The lackey asked with a frown.

Lebedev turned the photo around. It was of Alfred and Ivan arguing in what looked like an empty meeting room. "That's the same kid. And he had the balls and the nerve to lie directly to my face. Do what the lady wants and keep an eye on them. I want to see where this goes."

"Yes boss." The lackey said, and he left the office. Lebedev took a drag from his cig, and stared down at the photo. "I wonder what they'll find." He wondered out loud, a dangerous gleam in his eye. "Whatever it is, I hope it's fun."

 _ **A/N: Wooo, it's done! And I made more plot points. Damn it. Japan, Japan, Japan… I swear I didn't mean for him to become a punching bag in this story. Honestly, I keep kicking him when he's down and I'm starting to feel bad for him. I need to throw a bone to the poor dude. Belarus is up to something. And at this point, the story is going to take up to one hundred chapters before I'm done with it. I'm having fun though! :D (I'm also very tired. It's 2am.) France will return soon. I'm going to give him hell before he redeems himself. But redeem himself he will. England will come back soon as well.**_


	12. Deep Talks and Alcohol (Day 7)

When Ivan finally made it back up to the apartment, he found Alfred sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the wall. Surprisingly, Milashka was lying on his lap, and Alfred was softly rubbing his ears. Alfred didn't even bother acknowledging Ivan, too lost in thought to notice him. Ivan studied the younger nation for a moment. While he wasn't crying anymore, his eyes were still a little puffy, and he looked like he was about to break down again at any second. Sighing, Ivan made his way into the kitchen and turned on the kettle and pulled out a pair of mugs, a bottle of Vodka, and a bag of mini marshmallows. Desperate times called for desperate measures. A few minutes later, he walked out of the kitchen with two mugs of hot chocolate and when he reached Alfred, he gently bumped Alfred's head with one of the mugs to get his attention.

Alfred blinked and looking over, he gave Ivan a look of thanks as he took one of the mugs. He didn't drink it right away, but held the mug, letting the heat warm up his hands. Ivan carefully sat down next to him, and took a small sip of his own drink. "What are you thinking about?" Ivan asked.

Alfred shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing really. Just stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Stuff." Alfred confirmed.

"What kind of stuff?"

Alfred didn't reply for a moment, taking a sip of his drink. Ivan didn't press him, letting Alfred choose his words. Alfred's face scrunched up in confusion and he glanced down at his drink, and then at Ivan. "Did you spike my drink?" Alfred asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I did." Ivan confirmed, nodding towards the kitchen. "Forgive me, but I thought it appropriate. I could make you a regular drink if you prefer."

"No way." Alfred said, pulling his mug towards his body possessively. "After this shit storm of a week I deserve this." Then he frowned. "Wait, where the hell did you get that alcohol from?! I don't have any."

"I brought it with me. Do you think that I would willingly live without Vodka for a month?" Ivan scoffed.

"Ah, of course. I should have known." Alfred said with a small chuckle. "But peppermint flavored?"

"What can I say? I was in a festive mood when I bought it." Ivan said with a shrug. "So, stuff?"

Alfred sighed, and took another sip of his drink. "Yeah. Like how my life has turned upside down. Like, I literally have no idea how so much shit has happened in just a week, but here we are."

"Here we are." Ivan agreed.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, Alfred continuing to gently pet Milashka, who was quietly purring. Ivan drank his drink slowly, not sure if he should try and comfort Alfred or let him work through his hurt himself. While he wanted to say something, he didn't know what else to say to him. After all, he had never had a best friend, so he couldn't relate to the losing one.

"Did you know," Alfred asked suddenly, bringing Ivan out of his own thoughts, "that I don't have many close friends?"

"What?" Ivan asked in confusion. "But I thought you get along with most of the world?"

Alfred shook his head with a sad smile. "I have good relations with a lot of nations as America." He corrected. "But when it comes to Alfred, I don't have more than a handful of people who would actually call me their friend."

"Isn't being friendly with other nations the same as having friends?" Ivan asked with a frown, and Alfred shook his head.

"Nah, that's not how that works. For example, look at how I get along with Germany compared to Ki-, I mean Japan or Italy." Alfred said, a slightly pained look crossing his face as he corrected himself. "While Germany and I can work together well, we don't hang out outside of meetings or work. Germany wouldn't drop everything and rush over if I called him like he would for Italy. My brother would do that, but Germany wouldn't."

"So who are your friends?" Ivan asked, something in him growing concerned.

"There's my brother, France, Lithuania, England if he's in a good mood, Japan until a little while ago, and now you." Alfred admitted sadly. "And three of those people are my own family."

"You consider France family?" Ivan asked in surprise.

"Of course." Alfred said, his mouth twitching upwards. "He did have colonies too you know. I mean, he has stronger ties with Mattie of course, but he's kind of like my perverted Uncle who visits me every once in awhile because I'm still his nephew and he'll be damned if I don't know how to cook."

"Does that make Finland and Sweden family as well?"

"They're kind of like distant relatives if I'm being honest." Alfred said with a shrug. "It's kind of like those relatives who go on and on about how they knew you when you were a baby, but you don't see them more than once or twice a year. I still like them of course, but it's not the same as my relationship with England."

"But you look so much like Finland." Ivan said, and Alfred shook his head in exasperation.

"Why does everyone say that?!" He asked. "I don't see it!"

Ivan gave him an unimpressed look. "You both are blonde, you both smile too much, you both have an obsession about Christmas. Not to mention that you are tall like Sweden and when you actually get serious you can be as intimidating as him. You are practically the love child of Finland and Sweden!"

"Ewww, don't say that!" Alfred said, looking disgusted. "I don't need those mental images!"

"You need to take a DNA test." Ivan grumbled. "You had so many nations colonize you, no one knows for sure who you are related to."

"No thanks." Alfred said with a grimace. "If Spain finds out he's related to me he's going to start yelling at me about my poor Spanish again. He already does that with Mexico and a lot of the Latin American countries. Wait, we aren't related, are we?" Alfred asked, squinting at Ivan, who laughed.

"I highly doubt it. I was not a founding nation for you. And you were already grown when I sold you Alaska, so I doubt we have any relation of any kind."

"Oh thank god." Alfred muttered. "It would be so weird if we were actually related in any way. I mean, because we were trying to kill each other for so long."

"Indeed, it would." Ivan agreed. After a moment, he looked over at Alfred with a frown. "I honestly thought you would have more friends."

Alfred frowned into his half empty cup. "Yeah, everyone thinks that. But like I said, they're usually only my allies, which they think is good enough for friendship."

"You do not agree?"

"No. A friend is someone who takes time to know you, and doesn't call you stupid, fat, obnoxious, loud, or an asshole."

Ivan grimaced, glancing away from Alfred looking embarrassed. "Ah, I see."

"Dude, you don't count." Alfred said with a small smile, throwing Ivan a sympathetic look. "We're working on that, aren't we? That's more than I can say for some of the other nations."

"We are." Ivan agreed, looking a little relived. Then he frowned. "Wait a moment…"

"What?"

"You said that you only have a handful of people who you consider good friends." Ivan said slowly, his frown growing deeper as he thought.

"Uh, yeah. Thought I made that pretty clear." Alfred said, unsure about where Ivan was taking the conversation.

"Then why do you throw a Christmas party every year?"

Alfred was thrown by the question for a moment. "I-" Alfred started to say, but then he stopped, looking lost. He frowned, hesitating, considering the question for a moment. "Why wouldn't I throw a party?" He finally asked.

Ivan tilted his head curiously at him. "Why would you spend time with people you do not consider friends each year? Why spend your time and money for people who insult you or just use you for your money and power? Why give gifts to people who do not even consider giving you one? Would it not be better for you to not throw the party and spend that time with the people you like?"

Alfred looked away from Ivan as he spoke, suddenly looking tired and drained. For a moment, Ivan saw the years on Alfred's face. "I guess I could, but I never really thought to do that." Alfred admitted, putting his cup on the table next to him. "When I started to throw my Christmas parties, it was because I was tired of spending Christmas alone every year. It was a way for me to actually have some company, and to pretend that I had people who wanted to spend time with me for even a minute."

Ivan stared at Alfred in shock. "You spent Christmas alone?" He asked, his mouth falling open.

"Yeah, I did. For a long time." Alfred said sadly, closing his eyes and resting his head on the back of the couch.

"But, you spent time with Canada, didn't you?" Ivan asked, not able to comprehend Alfred being alone.

"No, I didn't. He and I had a few rough patches, and he spent his Christmas's with England and France for awhile." Alfred said with a grimace. "I was mad at him for not leaving England, and he was angry at me for trying to butt into his life. Then he gained his independence from England peacefully, and because I was jealous of his relationship with England and he was tired of all the shit I was putting him through by being mistaken for me, so we didn't talk for awhile."

"England and you-"

"We didn't even start talking to each other until World War One."

"No one else spent time with you?" Ivan asked, his face falling.

"Who would?" Alfred asked with a shrug, opening his eyes and glancing at Ivan. "They had their own families or friends to spend time with. That's why I started throwing the party each year. It was a way to get people to come over without disrupting their plans too much. I kept going all out each year so people would come back, and somehow people started to look forwards to them each year. But don't get me wrong, I do actually like throwing it, and I really love giving out gifts. It makes me happy when I can make others happy."

Ivan gave Alfred a sad look. He gently put his mug onto the coffee table, and then he suddenly reached over and pulled Alfred sideways into a bone crushing hug. Alfred let out a squeak of surprise as the air was forced out of his lungs, and Milashka was thrown to the floor with an angry meow.

"I am so sorry." Ivan said sadly. "You must have been very lonely. I know what that is like during the holidays."

"Dude, I gotta be honest with you. I did not expect you to be so into hugs." Alfred joked weakly, patting Ivan on the back awkwardly. "It's kind of weird. And it's really no big deal."

"It is." Ivan disagreed, glaring down at Alfred. "And I am not letting you go until you agree with me."

"Aw, come on dude!" Alfred complained, struggling to escape Ivan's grip, but he found that it was like trying to get out of iron bands. "It's not that bad! And Mattie, France, England and I usually do something for Christmas every year now."

"No, not good enough." Ivan huffed. "No one deserves to feel alone in a room full of people for that long."

"It wasn't that bad." Alfred said weakly. Ivan continued to glare at him, and Alfred felt his resolve crumbling a bit. "Okay, it sucked, but it wasn't a big deal." He huffed, trying to push Ivan off of him, but only was able to turn around so that Ivan was now holding him like a teddy bear, much to his annoyance. "Now get off of me! You're strangling me!"

"Hmm, I do not think so." Ivan said with a smirk. "I like hugs, and I do not get them very often. I do not want to let go."

"What the hell man! Are you really kidnapping me for hugs?!" Alfred asked, giving Ivan an unimpressed glare.

"I am not kidnapping you." Ivan said coolly. "Kidnapping would mean that I was taking you to another location. I am holding you hostage."

"That's not much of a difference." Alfred grumbled but he stopped fighting, letting himself get pulled back into another hug. "Fine. But I'm not admitting I'm wrong."

"Then I am not letting go." Ivan said.

"Well, then we're going to be here for awhile, aren't we." Alfred said stubbornly, crossing his arms.

"I suppose so." Ivan agreed. They sat there for about five minutes with Alfred pouting in Ivan's arms before Ivan finally sighed, and he dragged Alfred onto his lap.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Alfred asked, his face turning red as he was pulled sideways onto Ivan's lap and against Ivan's chest.

"The way I was holding you was uncomfortable." Ivan said with a shrug, putting his head on top of Alfred's again. "This way I am not holding you up."

"Oh, fair enough." Alfred said, relaxing slightly. "But give me a little warning next time. I'm not used to people being able to pull me around like that."

"Sorry." Ivan said with a smile, not looking sorry at all.

"You are enjoying this too much." Alfred grumbled.

"It is like I said." Ivan said with a shrug. "I like hugs. No one ever give me any, so the few I do get are nice."

Alfred glanced up at Ivan with a small frown, then with a sigh he grabbed the T.V. remote off the table and handed it to Ivan. "If we're going to be here for awhile we might as well finish that movie we fell asleep watching last night."

Ivan accepted the remote wordlessly, and turned on the TV. They sat there for awhile, sipping their drinks, but they didn't say anything. It wasn't until just before the end credits were about to roll when Alfred spoke up again.

"Do you think he'll still be my friend when all of this all blows over?" Alfred asked quietly. Ivan didn't need to be told who Alfred was talking about.

"That all depends on whether or not he gets over himself." Ivan said with a slight shrug. "To be honest, I think that he will not be talking to you until he figures out how he feels about you." Alfred face fell, and Ivan couldn't help but feel bad for him. "I am not saying that you will never be friends again, only that it might be awhile." He said, trying to cheer Alfred up. Unfortunately, this had the opposite effect and Alfred looked like he was about to start crying again. Ivan cursed himself for his poor social skills.

"I am…not very good at comforting others." Ivan admitted with a grimace.

"No, it's fine." Alfred said, looking down at his lap with a sigh. "I appreciate you being honest."

Ivan sighed, and he finally let Alfred go and Alfred sent him a thankful look. As Alfred got up, Ivan's phone started to ring in the kitchen. Ivan felt a spike of fear as he recognized it as Ukraine's ring tone, and he quickly got up and hurried to the kitchen to answer it. He quickly picked it up, and before Ukraine could get a word in he asked, "Is something wrong?"

" _No, of course not."_ Ukraine said in slight surprise at her brother's worried tone. _"I was just checking in on you. Oh, and I also wanted to let you know that Natalia decided to go home for the time being. She left my house the other day."_

"Why on earth would you let her leave?" Ivan asked, suddenly feeling a wave of dread coming over him. "She could be traveling here as we speak!"

Ukraine huffed. _"Have faith in your older sister. I took her passport from her before she left. I would love to see how she would get past U.S customs without it."_

Ivan released the breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. "You are an angel." He said, collapsing into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "I would have not thought to do that. So why are you calling if nothing bad has happened?"

" _I am planning on coming to New York to see you and America."_ Ukraine said brightly.

Ivan paused. That hadn't been what he had been expecting at all. "Why?" Ivan asked with a frown.

" _Well, I wanted to spend some time with you, seeing as I missed the meeting."_ Ukraine explained happily. _"And I wanted to meet your new boyfriend! I'm so excited for you Vanya!"_ She cooed. _"I was so shocked when I heard the news, but I am so happy for you!"_

Ivan felt his heart drop. "I…I see." He said awkwardly. "Ah, well… about that-"

" _And shame on you!"_ Ukraine said in a scolding tone. _"How could you keep this from me?! You know I would not have told Natalia! You could have trusted me!"_

"It is not like that!" Ivan said desperately. "It is because-"

" _Well, I suppose I could forgive you if you let me take you two out to dinner."_ Ukraine said cheerfully. _"You can tell me everything then! Oh, I am just so happy for you! I was so worried that you would never find someone, but then all of this happened! And to think that you and America made up! Imagine my surprise! But I always thought you two would have made a cute couple before you had that falling out."_

"You did?" Ivan asked in surprise, and Ukraine giggled. _"Of course! You were always so happy when he talked to you! You always used to be so happy that someone wasn't afraid of you! You know, now that I think of it, it was only a matter of time before you two got together. After all, who else would it be? Oh, I can't wait to come over! I am sure you two are so happy."_ Ivan heard her sniffle, and his heart sank lower.

"Are you crying?" Ivan asked worriedly, but Ukraine just let out a watery laugh.

" _Oh, I am just being silly."_ She said. _"I am just so happy that you are happy that I got a little overwhelmed."_

Ivan felt like screaming. When he found France he was going to stuff all of his cheese up his nose and his baguettes up his ass. Before he could say anything, Alfred walked into the kitchen. "Is that Ukraine?" He asked curiously, interrupting Ivan. "Tell her I said hi."

" _Oh, is that America?!"_ Ukraine asked excitably. _"Tell him I cannot wait to see him! Oh, I have to go! My boss is calling me! I will talk to you later! I am so proud of you two! See you soon!"_

"Wait!" Ivan said desperately. "We are not-" but she had already hung up. Ivan looked down at his phone hopelessly. Then with a groan, he slumped down in his chair.

"Is something wrong?" Alfred asked, hovering awkwardly in the doorway, feeling like he had just interrupted something important.

"Well, no and yes." Ivan said, standing up and walking over to the Vodka bottle and pouring a generous amount of it into his mug.

"Give me the good news first." Alfred said with a grimace.

"Good news," Ivan said, taking a swig of his drink, "is that Belarus cannot leave Europe."

"That's great!" Alfred said with a relieved look. "At least I don't have to worry about her creeping up on us and taking us out now."

"Take you out." Ivan corrected.

"Oh, yeah. She's only pissed at me." Alfred said with a pained look. "And the bad news?"

Ivan sighed, and then took another long drink. "Ukraine still thinks we are dating, and she is flying to New York in order to see us and take us out to dinner."

"And that's bad why?" Alfred asked with a frown.

"Because she thinks we made up, and she said she was proud of me for finding love and she is super excited that I am happy now, and she thinks we are a cute couple. And now I have to break the news to her that we are not dating and make her disappointed and sad."

"Oh, that's bad." Alfred said with a wince. "That sucks dude. At least my family would be happy to find out we aren't dating."

Ivan didn't respond, but took another swig of his drink. "Do you want some?" He offered Alfred, who paused for a moment.

"What the hell, why not?" Alfred said, and Ivan passed him the bottle. After pouring himself a decent amount, he held his cup out to Ivan. "To killing France."

"To killing France." Ivan said darkly, tapping his mug against Alfred's.

 _ ***SOMEWHEREINNEWYORK***_

France shuttered as he felt a cold chill go down his back and he let out a sneeze. As he rubbed his nose, he wondered if England had given him the flu as well. He was currently in his new hotel room, and was unpacking all of his clothes. He had thought it best to hide out form the other nations, (namely America, Russia, and England), until their bloodlust had settled down a bit. He winced as he touched his nose, which while bruised, had thankfully hadn't been broken. He was glad for that, seeing as setting bones with their quick healing rates was a pain, and he really didn't want to rebreak his nose to get it set again.

In all honestly, he had not meant for things to get out of control like this. He hadn't meant to send the pictures to everyone, only England to rile him up a bit, but he had accidently pressed send to all on his email, and before he knew it everyone had seen them. He hadn't been worried about it at first, expecting the other nations to act like he had faked the photos or was just over exaggerated the whole thing. He had expected the rest of the nations to get a little riled up, yes, maybe set up a new betting pool and gossip, but he hadn't expected anyone to actually take his little pictures seriously. After all, it was just a little fun. For goodness sakes, they hadn't even been holding hands! He had thought that things would sort themselves out.

Unfortunatly, the shock of seeing America and Russia getting along had set everyone off, and before he knew it the rest of the nations had started panicking. He had tried to do damage control with England, trying and failing to stop him from causing a scene so that the other nations would calm down a bit. After all, if England didn't go momma bear on Russia the others would realize that nothing was going on. Unfortunately, he had forgotten what England was like when he was on the war path, and he hadn't been able to stop him from entering the building and for his efforts he had almost gotten his face broken.

He had heard from Prussia, who had texted him after the meeting, that Japan had admitted to the pictures being real, and that had set off the world even more because Japan never lies. Then the whole thing with America defending Russia happened, (Which had surprised him), and the rest of the world was convinced that they were dating, and suddenly he and Japan were the bad guys in the story for outing their secret.

Sighing tiredly, he frowned guiltily down at the shirt he was holding. He felt bad about messing up Japan's and America's friendship. It was one of the few friendships America had, and he felt like an ass for getting Japan involved in the first place. Not only that, he had messed up Japan's chances for getting together with America, which he knew Japan was devastated about. He felt awful about everything, and he honestly had no idea how to fix this mess without being killed from fifteen different directions.

Sighing again, he placed the shirt down on the bed and ran a hand through his hair tiredly. He wondered not for the first time in his life how he was going to get out of the hole he had dug himself into. While he still thought that something was happening between Russia and America, (He could just feel it!), he knew he had messed up and that it was better if he stayed hidden for a few more days before he went to them to apologize. Maybe he could cook up an apology dish for America and beg for mercy from Russia. Although if they beat him up he couldn't help but feel like he deserved it.

Looking out the window at the blizzard that had rolled in, he hoped that Japan was doing okay. After all, other than America and Russia, he had gotten the worst part of the deal after everything was said and done. Wherever he was, he hoped he was taking care of himself.

* **ENGLAND'SHOTELROOM***

England felt terrible. Not only physically, although that certainly didn't help, but also emotionally. He didn't know what to do. He was sitting by the window of his hotel room, watching the snowflakes build up on the window seal. He had a cup of tea in his hands, but he was too tired to even drink it.

He was worried. Alfred had never been in a relationship before, and he was worried he was running into something that would hurt him in the future. After all, it wouldn't have been the first time. He grimaced at the thought, and shook his head. If Canada was right, and Alfred and Russia weren't dating, then he'd let things go and he'd wash his hands of the whole thing. But he had a sneaking suspicion that Alfred's and Russia's relationship was different somehow. After all, he had seen how Alfred had looked over at Russia when he had stormed out of that meeting room. He wasn't angry at Russia, he had been angry for him.

He frowned at the falling snow, thinking about what Canada had told him at the meeting. He couldn't help but feel a little bitter at his attitude, but he had to admit that what Canada had said had been partly true. He did feel protective over his former colony. But not for the reasons he had said, or at not least completely. He knew Alfred could take care of himself. He had proved that the moment he had won the Revolutionary war. He knew that Russia couldn't hurt Alfred without Alfred throwing a swing back and hurting him back. But that didn't matter to him. Alfred lived with his heads in the clouds, and because of that he sometimes missed what was on the ground below him and ended up stumbling. And he was going to fall hard if he kept going down the path he was going, and all he wanted was to be able to catch him before he got hurt.

Although neither of them admitted it to each other, Alfred was still his little brother. England loved Alfred like he was his own child, and although he wasn't very good at expressing that, he knew Alfred knew how he felt. Sure, politically they sometimes butted heads, but that didn't mean anything. So when he had seen those pictures, he had felt a protective fury he hadn't felt for centuries. He didn't trust Russia as far as he could throw him, and he didn't want Alfred being used because he had finally opened his heart to the wrong person. And if it came to it, he would gladly put himself between America and Russia if it meant he could spare his brother's heart from being broken into a million pieces because it turned out Russia never actually loved him. He didn't deserve that, no matter how annoying or silly he was.

He didn't regret sticking his sword in Russia's face. Not one bit. He would have done it whether he had approved of the relationship or not. He hadn't expected to scare Russia, but he had sent his message to him, at that was the only thing he cared about. But there was something bugging him about the whole situation. Alfred had started calling Russia Ivan. When he had heard that, he had been shocked to his core. Alfred never called anyone by their real name unless he truly cared about that person. And he never allowed anyone to call him by his real name unless he really trusted that person. Hell, it had taken until the end of the first World War for Alfred to start calling him by his first name again, so why had he been calling Russia by his real name so quickly?!

What if it was because he truly loved Russia? He stared out at the snow, worry gnawing at his insides. If that was the case, there wasn't anything he could do. He could drag Alfred away from the bastard, but nothing in the world was going to change his feelings for the man. No matter how he felt, Alfred would ignore his advice and it might cause another rift between them, and that was the last thing he wanted.

He heard a clinking sound, and looking down, he saw his hands were shaking so badly that his tea cup had started to shake. Sighing, he put the cup down on the window sill and closed his eyes tiredly. He wasn't entirely sure what to do, and that scared the crap out of him. Sometimes being an older brother sucked.

 ***SOMEWHEREINBELARUS***

Belarus watched the snow falling outside from the window in her bedroom with a calm expression. She had been reading a book, and had only noticed the snow because she had seen the shadows falling over the pages of her book. She didn't like the snow very much. It was always too cold for her liking, but she did like how it made the world look. Calm, peaceful, pristine. Her favorite thing about winter had always been the icicles that formed on the branches on the trees, making the forest around her house sparkle in the sunlight. She had told her brother that once, and he had started decorating the trees in the house with them to make her feel more at home. A small smile appeared on her face at the memory.

Her brother had always been thoughtful like that. Not many people could see that, not even her sister at times, but she knew. He was gentle like that. He had always loved her enough to do things like that for her. She loved him for that. Unlike that awful American. A scowl appeared on her face at the thought. That damn America. He had always caused her brother trouble. At first, he had pretended to be her brothers friend, leading her brother into a false sense of security, then like everyone else he had turned his back on him. Then he had the audacity to fight with him! To claim he was better than her older brother, and to challenge him at every chance he could get. At one point he had even pointed those awful nuclear weapons at him!

He was the reason her brother was always so unhappy. He was the reason he had ended up alone. He was the reason she couldn't live in her brother's home anymore. And now he was trying to pretend to love HIM?! HE WAS PLANNING TO TAKE HIM AWAY FROM HER AGAIN?! HOW DARE HE?! There was a sudden tearing noise, and looking down at her hands she realized she had ripped her book in half in her anger. Sighing, she threw the book into the nearby garbage bin. It didn't matter; it had been a boring book anyways.

She looked out the window again, her calm expression back on her face. It didn't matter, she was dealing with it. Although her sister had cruelly taken her only way to travel to her brother, she had made the proper arrangements to keep an eye on him. She relaxed slightly, a small smile on her face. She had gotten a call earlier that day, from the head of the organization she had contacted. She had been overjoyed when he had told her he had already seen him and that damn American, and that they had entered his domain in the city freely. He had assured her that he had his men looking for them, and not to worry her pretty little head about it. He had promised to call her again when they found them.

She smiled at the snow falling. If her brother was the snow gentle snow, she would be the cruel ice that cut down his enemies. She would protect him, no matter what it took. Because she loved him.

 **Act one is done! Wooo! :D Oh my god, how the hell did so much happen in only seven days?! Why the hell did I invite more plot points into my story!? Why am I like this? So, the first part of the story is done. The first week is done, everything is in motion and finally where I want it. While everything may seem like hell right now, I promise that the next act is going to go back to being light hearted for awhile. I know I focused a lot on Alfred for the first week, so it's going to be Ivan's turn next! So, a few mysteries are left. Where is Japan? What is Belarus planning to do to Alfred and Ivan? How is France going to redeem himself? How is Russia going to deal with Ukraine, and will he start opening up more to Alfred? What does Alfred keep saying he can't stand love? Why did he react negatively to the mention of tea and England? When the hell will the romance in this fucking story show up?! WILL I EVER STOP ADDING PLOT POINTS INTO MY STORY?! Find out all of this, (Maybe), and more in the second act! Reviews more than welcome!**


	13. Knocks on the door (Day 8)

When Ivan woke up the next day, he didn't get up right away, instead choosing to stare at the ceiling with a frown on his face.

After he had received the call from Ukraine, he and Alfred had spent the rest of the day sulking around the apartment, pondering about how their lives had become so complicated and shitty in such a short amount of time. They hadn't spoken very much, but they had finished off most of the bottle, (Mostly by Ivan), by the time they had decided to have dinner, which ended up being the cold pizza from when he had arrived because neither of them had felt like cooking or ordering food. (Surprisingly, it had not tasted as bad as Ivan had thought it would). After that, they had both retired to their rooms for the night, deciding that they both just wanted the day to end. It had been a rather pathetic evening, which summed up how both of them had felt pretty well.

Ivan sighed, and pulled the covers up over his head. Maybe if he didn't get out of bed bad things would stop happening to him. Milashka, noticing his owner was awake and not impressed by his lack of movement, got up from where he had been dozing at the end of the bed and started to paw at the top of Ivan's head, meowing loudly.

"No." Ivan grumbled, gently pushing Milashka off of him.

Undeterred by this, Milashka started to try and get under the covers. Ivan just pulled them tight so the cat couldn't find a way in. Then Milashka started meowing loudly, running around the bed and pawing at any part of his owner he could feel under the covers.

"Why are you like this?" Ivan groaned, pulling the covers off of his face, only for Milashka to run up to him and start licking his face, purring loudly. Sighing, Ivan picked up his cat and after petting him for a minute, he decided that it was time to get out of bed. Glancing over at the alarm clock on the side table, he was confused to see that it was off. Frowning, he looked at his phone which had been charging next it, and saw it was only half charged. He made to get out of bed, and that's when he finally realized that the room was much colder than it had been before.

"The power must have gone out." Ivan grumbled, getting out from bed and over to the closet to put on a sweater and a warmer pair of pants. As soon as he left the bed, Milashka scrambled under the covers to warm himself up. After Ivan had gotten dressed, he made his way to one of the windows and saw that the snow storm from the night before had dumped at least eight inches of snow onto the sidewalk, and he saw a few people salting the path in front of the building. He saw that the street had already been cleared, and heard one of the workers below cussing out the snow plows for apparently dumping a bunch of snow in front of his shop.

He went into the hallway, and deciding that he shouldn't let his host freeze to death, he knocked on Alfred's door. He heard some movement, then cussing. After a minute, Alfred opened the door, looking rather grumpy. He was only wearing a thin pair of blue pajama pants and a Superman T-shirt, and had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He hadn't even bothered to put on his glasses.

"Why's it so cold?" Alfred asked, squinting tiredly up at Ivan.

"The power is out." Ivan said with a shrug. Alfred didn't say anything for a moment, letting the information sink in through his tired brain, and then he sighed.

"Welp, I'm sure Greg's already doing something about it." He said with a yawn, shuffling out of his room and towards the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Ivan asked.

"Coffee." Alfred said, waving his hand at the kitchen.

"No power. No coffee." Ivan explained in amusement.

"There's more than one way to make coffee my friend." Alfred said with a huff, making his way into the kitchen. Curious, Ivan followed him, and watched Alfred rummage around in the cupboards for something. He was muttering something to himself, and finally he pulled down a tea kettle and a box of long matches. "Thank god I have a gas stove." Alfred muttered, shuffling towards the sink.

"What are you doing?" Ivan asked as Alfred tried to use the faucet to fill the kettle.

"I'm trying to fill the kettle." Alfred said, tapping the faucet in frustration when nothing came out. Grumbling again, he marched over to the fridge and pulled out a few bottles of water and emptied them out into the kettle, and when that was done he put the kettle on the stove and pulled out one of the matchsticks and started the gas. Lighting the match, he stuck underneath the kettle and a flame appeared, happily heating the kettle.

"Want some tea or something?" Alfred asked, going back to the cupboards and rummaging around in them.

"I would not say no." Ivan said, sitting down at the table. Alfred hummed in acknowledgment, and pulled out a box of tea bags, and threw it to Ivan, who caught it easily. "I have a bunch of flavors in there, so help yourself." Alfred said, and then he frowned. "Damn, I don't have any instant coffee left."

"I thought you usually only drank the ground stuff?" Ivan asked as he went through the box.

"Not always. If I'm in a rush I usually drink instant." Alfred said with a shrug. Closing the cupboard, he walked over to where Ivan was sitting and leaned over his shoulder to look at the tea bags. "Any of those caffeinated?"

"Only the green tea." Ivan said, handing Alfred a couple of the tea bags. "Why do you have so much tea here? I thought you preferred coffee."

"You know, just in case someone stops by and wants some." Alfred said, suddenly looking upset and turning around quickly to go grab some mugs. Ivan was confused at Alfred's sudden change of mood, until he took a closer look at the box. He then realized that the box was full of Asian blends, and that Alfred must have kept them around for if Japan visited. Feeling guilty for bringing it up, he cleared his throat and changed the topic.

"So, when do you think they are going to be able to fix the power?" He asked. Alfred didn't answer right away as he grabbed the mugs, but relaxed slightly at the change of topic.

"Could be a few hours depending on what caused the problem." Alfred said with a slight shrug as he placed the mugs onto the table. "I'm not sure when the power went out, but it should be on soon. Greg is usually quick about these kinds of things."

"That is good." Ivan said with a small smile, picking out a black tea blend out of the box and placing into one of the mugs. "If it gets any colder, we will have to cuddle for warmth."

"Dude, if I'm going to cuddle with anyone it's going to be Hero, not you." Alfred teased, poking Ivan's arm playfully.

"Oh? And why is that?" Ivan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because he has fur and you don't. He would stay warmer longer. Plus, he's cuter." Alfred said with a chuckle.

"I resent that. I am very handsome." Ivan said with a pout, and Alfred started to laugh.

"Yeah, you are, but I'm afraid that cats are just cuter than people on principle. Sorry." Alfred said with a grin. Just then, the kettle started to whistle. Alfred turned around to go shut off the stove, but as he did so he missed the surprised look that appeared on Ivan's face. Tilting his head slightly, Ivan studied Alfred for a moment before a small smile started to grow on his face.

"Do you take cream or sugar in your tea?" Alfred asked as he took the kettle off the stove.

"I do not take either." Ivan said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "So, you think I am attractive?"

Alfred paused for a moment, and then he turned around and gave Ivan an exasperated look. "Really? I swear to god, if you take my words out of context-"

"Are you sure France was not right, and you do not have a crush on me?" Ivan asked, his grin growing larger by the second.

"Oh my god, no. Stop. I'm going to smack you with this kettle if you don't shut up." Alfred threatened, but Ivan just kept smiling up at him.

"I am available you know, I would be honored if you asked me out." Ivan said with a wink, and Alfred felt one of his eyes twitch in irritation.

"Brain bleach. I need brain bleach." Alfred said, grabbing his stomach and pretending to gag. "I'll never recover; I'll be haunted by that wink till my dying breath."

"That is mean." Ivan said with a chuckle. "And you did not answer my question."

Alfred rolled his eyes, and then with a huff he brought the kettle over and started to pour the water into the mugs. "Yeah, sure, you're good looking. Happy?"

Ivan beamed. "Very much so."

"Uh-huh." Alfred said, sitting down in the chair in front of Ivan, clearly not impressed. "Don't let it go to your head, Mr. Sexy."

"I think I should, seeing as this is the second time you have called me handsome." Ivan said with a smirk, and Alfred frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"You do not remember? It was when we first met." Ivan said. Alfred frowned, racking his brain to try and remember what Ivan was talking about. Seeing that Alfred was lost, Ivan explained further. "It was at a ball in the White House around 1804, when your president invited me over to celebrate me recognizing you as a country. You were with one of one of your diplomats at the time when you said it."

Ivan watched in amusement as Alfred's face went from confused, to his eyes widening in shock, and then his face turning a brilliant shade of pink as he started to sputter in embarrassment. "You heard that?!" He squeaked.

"You have always been a rather loud person. It was not hard to make out what you were asking." Ivan said with a shrug. "I admit, I was rather flattered at the time."

Alfred refused to make eye contact with Ivan, instead looking down at the table with a grimace. "If I knew you heard that, I probably would have died from embarrassment." Alfred admitted. "I was already nervous about meeting you at the time, and if you mentioned you heard me say that, I probably would have run out of the room."

"Well, I had originally planned on intimidating you, but after that I was a little more willing to talk to you. Actually, I was more surprised at the fact that you were not able to tell that I was a nation." Ivan said with a small frown.

"You were planning on intimidating me?" Alfred asked, suddenly looking annoyed. "Dude, what the hell? I thought you came over because you were nice!"

Ivan gave Alfred an exasperated look. "Where on earth did you get that idea from? Surly you had heard about my reputation before you met me."

"I mean, England mentioned you a couple of times, but nothing in real detail. He was more focused on bad mouthing France and Spain at the time. The only other time I heard about you was from France and Prussia during my Revolutionary war when they were training me." Alfred explained with a shrug. "When I asked them about you, they just told me you were a creepy bastard and told me to stop talking about you."

Ivan stared at Alfred in disbelief. "You mean to tell me that France and Prussia said I was creepy, and you decided off that that I was nice?"

"Of course not." Alfred scoffed. "I decided you were nice when you decided to not attack me when England asked for your help. Then when you recognized me as a country I got super excited because I knew you were a powerful country, and if you recognized me we might be able to be friends."

"A rather naïve way of looking at things." Ivan said with slightly sad smile.

"I guess." Alfred said a small smile of his own. "But hey, I had only been a country for what, twenty seven years or so? I was really excited to meet more people like me. Of course, no one had told me what you looked like for some reason, so of course I didn't know what you looked like."

"You should have been able to pick me out, no?" Ivan asked with a frown. "I thought that was something all of us could pick up on?"

Alfred frowned. "I mean yeah, but I wasn't really good at doing that at the time. After all, I only ever saw England or Mattie for years, and for most of that time I was alone or only with Mattie, and he was too much like me for me to pick up on any differences. I had a limited amount of experience at being around other nations. I actually thought I was more like regular people until I started to outlive them…" Alfred let his sentence trail off, looking down sadly at his cup. Ivan winced, remembering that while he had gotten over outliving others centuries ago, Alfred was still a younger nation, so the pain would still be a sharp for him.

"But anyways," Alfred said, suddenly snapping back to normal, "I was really bad at picking out other nations for awhile. I could tell a nation was there, but I didn't know who it was until someone pointed you out."

"And other than thinking I was handsome, what did you think about me?" Ivan asked curiously.

"I was actually really impressed with your height." Alfred admitted with a small chuckle. "I had never seen anyone so tall other than Sweden, so I thought you were a giant compared to me. I think I was a few inches shorter than I am now, so I think I was a full head shorter than you at the time. I thought you were really cool. So, what did you think when you first saw me?"

"Let me think…" Ivan said with a small frown as he tried to remember. "It has been awhile since that party. I think my first reaction was being surprised about how different you were from England. I had honestly expected a mini him, but you were almost completely different from him. At the time, you were not acting like you were better than everyone because you had gained your independence, but like someone who had no idea what they were doing. You also had a bad habit of rambling."

"I guess some things never change." Alfred joked.

"I guess so." Ivan agreed with a small smile.

"Hey, wasn't France at that party?" Alfred asked suddenly with a frown.

"He was. He was flirting with anything with a skirt at the time." Ivan said, rolling his eyes.

"I think he pissed off a few husbands that night." Alfred said with a chuckle. "I think I remember a few of my politicians challenging him to duels."

"I do not remember that, but I would not be surprised." Ivan said with a shake of his head. "He had a bad habit of flirting with married women to piss off husbands at the time."

"Why would he do that?" Alfred asked.

"I think he said it gave him a thrill." Ivan said.

Alfred shook his head as well, and suddenly there was a knock at the door. They both froze, and after trading a nervous glance, Alfred got up and walked over to the door. He looked though the peep hole, and with a sigh of relief he looked over at Ivan with a smile. "It's just Greg." Opening the door, he grinned at his land lord.

"Hey Greg! It's a bit nippy this morning, isn't it?" Alfred said cheerfully.

Greg shook his head fondly. "A bit, but that's why I'm here. I'm just updating everyone on the situation right now. Can I come in?"

Ivan narrowed his eyes at Greg as Alfred let him in. Greg noticed him staring, and just smirked at him. "You look a little grumpy this morning." Greg said causally.

"It is cold." Ivan explained just as causally.

"I thought Russian's were used to the cold?" Greg asked, leaning against the doorway of the kitchen.

"Just because we are used to it, does not mean we like it." Ivan said.

Alfred, oblivious to what was going on, clapped Greg on the shoulder. "I got some hot water going if you want a cup of tea." He offered.

"No, thanks though." Greg said, waving off Alfred's offer. "I can't stick around too long, I have to get back downstairs and talk to the power company. Apparently the storm iced over some wires or something, and the power may be out for another hour or so while they fix them. Honestly, it's been one headache after another this week." Greg said with a huff. "First some idiot floods the second floor because he forgot to turn the bathwater off, then that old bat across from you has been calling me every night for the last three days complaining about 'shifty people'," Greg said rolling his eyes, making quotations with his hands, "loitering on the sidewalk outside the building, and now the powers out."

"Who are the sketchy people?" Alfred asked in amusement.

"Hell if I know." Greg huffed. "I think it's just a bunch of smokers from some of the lower floors getting their nicotine fix. But nooo, that damn old bat is convinced it's a bunch of robbers scoping out the building because she saw on the news that there's been a spike in muggings. Honestly, if I wasn't such a softy to the elderly, I'd have thrown her out from the building for making my life difficult."

"Is this the same woman that wanted Alfred's cat to be thrown out of the building?" Ivan asked.

"Yeah, it is." Alfred said with a scowl.

"You know I wouldn't throw your cat out Alfred." Greg said with a chuckle. "He doesn't cause trouble. Anyways, just wanted to let you two know what's going on. If you need anything, just walk down to the front desk and Carol will sort you out. Oh, speaking of which." Greg said, smacking his forehead and turning to face Alfred. "Carol wants to know if you can come in a little earlier than usual to the soup kitchen this week. She said it has to do with getting more donations than expected."

"Yeah, no problem." Alfred said with a grin.

"Maybe you'll join us?" Greg asked Ivan, who raised an eyebrow at the request.

"We'll see." Ivan said after thinking about the question for a moment.

"Hope to see you there. We always need more hands at the shelter." Greg said with a genuine smile towards Ivan. "I'll see you around Alfred." He added, slapping Alfred on the back and making his way back out into the hallway. As soon as he shut the door, Ivan saw Alfred face fall a little, but he quickly schooled his expression and turned to Ivan.

"So, once the power gets back on, did you want to go anywhere?" Alfred asked, making his way back to his seat, and picking up his half emptied cup.

"I actually do not wish to leave the apartment for awhile." Ivan admitted with a slight grimace. "Every time we have left, someone has followed us, or delivered bad news to us. I think I would rather stay here than face any more nations."

"Fair enough." Alfred said with a nod. "Unfortunately, I have to go out and pick up some groceries. We're nearly out of cat food, and if Hero doesn't get fed he turns into a little devil and starts scratching the furniture. That and we don't have anything for dinner, and I need more coffee. If you have anything else to suggest, write it on the paper on the fridge." Alfred said, finishing off his tea and leaning back in his chair. "Oh, and if you actually want to make dinner for once, that would be great."

"Are you hinting at something?" Ivan asked sarcastically.

"No, of course not. I've only been making dinner, feeding you, and housing you for the last week. It's not like I'd like it if someone else cooked for once." Alfred said just as sarcastically.

Ivan looked down towards his feet at Hero, who had walked into the kitchen in search of food. "You heard him kitty. I hope you can cook as well as you can purr." He said gravely.

"Trust me; you don't want what he eats. Lots of tuna and chicken bits." Alfred said with a laugh.

"No worse than China's food." Ivan said, and they both burst out laughing.

* **SOMETIMELATER ***

Thankfully, the power did come back on just an hour later, and Alfred had let out a cheer as the warm air started back up. After that, it was back to business as usual, and a little while later, Alfred had left with grocery list in tow with the promise that he wouldn't be more than an hour or so. Finding himself alone for the first time in a few days, Ivan was at a loss at what to do with himself. He had meant it when he said that he wanted to stay indoors for awhile, but he hadn't realized how much time he had spent with Alfred until he was alone. He had gotten so used to having another person around him, that he soon found himself getting bored with nothing to do. He wandered around the apartment for awhile trying to find something to do, but he found himself growing bored with that too.

Just as he decided that he was going to watch a movie or something, his eyes landed on Alfred's bedroom door. He paused for a moment, considering it. Alfred's room was the only place in the apartment he hadn't seen yet, and he was slightly curious about how America would decorate his living space. But at the same time, he remembered how serious Alfred had been about him not entering his room. Something told him that if Alfred discovered he had been snooping where he wasn't allowed, that he would be very upset.

But… he was bored, and he didn't have to go into the room to see what it looked like. He could just push the door open and peak inside. Deciding that his loophole was solid, Ivan walked over to the door and pushed it open and stuck his head around the door frame. He had expected the room to be overly patriotic, but to his surprise it really wasn't.

The room its self wasn't much larger than his own room, with baby blue walls and a plain white carpet. There was an oak desk pushed against the left wall, which had a lap top and a few large stacks of papers and a Land line phone on it, which Ivan guessed America used to call his boss. There was a widow on the wall opposite of the door, which had white curtains on them, and next to that was a bed that had been pushed into the right corner of the room, and had a red, white, and blue striped comforter, with a small nightstand with a single lamp on top of it. There were a few posters on the walls that were a weird mix of space, science, video games, and memes, much to Ivan's amusement. There was also bookshelf next to the door, but from where he was standing, he couldn't see what was on it.

Glancing around guilty, but curiosity getting the better of him, he slowly walked into the room, but only enough so he could see what was on the bookshelf. It was an interesting mix of topics Ivan noted as he scanned the spines of the books. There were a few law books, as well as math, science, and what looked to be history text books on most of the bottom shelves. Curiously, there also seemed to be a few blueprints stuffed in-between the books, but Ivan decided that it was better if he didn't move those. On the top of the shelves were a few comic books, something that looked like those books Japan liked to read, (he forgot what he called them, they were some sort of Japanese comic book), and a few books from the best seller list that Ivan recognized.

Most interestingly, there seemed to be a few hand written journals thrown on top of the bookshelf, and it took all of Ivan's self restraint not to not grab one and start reading them. He was pretty sure he could have gotten some good dirt on America if he went through those, but seeing as he wasn't a complete and utter jackass when he was guest in someone's home, and that he wasn't currently trying to kill America right now, as Russia or Ivan, he decided that it was probably time for him to leave the room before he did something that would get him in trouble. Turning around, he was startled to see Hero standing in the middle of the door way and glaring at him. The cat narrowed his eyes at him, and he tail was slowly moving from side to side.

"I was leaving." Ivan said defensively, holding his hands up in surrender. Then, raising an eyebrow at himself, he wondered why he was trying to defend his actions from a cat. Clearly he was going crazy. Shaking his head, he quickly left the room, pulling the door closed again and making sure not to lock Hero in the room.

He had just set up a movie and had just settled down on the couch when there was another knock on the door. Frowning, Ivan put down his bowl of popcorn and walked over to the door. It hadn't even been an half an hour since Alfred had left, so clearly that could not have been Alfred back from the store yet. He looked out the peep hole, and to confusion he saw a very old woman glaring back at him from the other side of the door. She looked like a typical old lady, grey hair, oversized coat and handbag, and an umbrella in her hands. She could have passed for someone's sweet old grandmother, if she hadn't been glaring at the door like it had insulted her mother. Ivan opened the door, and he gave the woman a confused frown.

"May I help you?" Ivan asked, but the lady didn't say anything, instead choosing to scowl at him as she eyed him. Ivan, not sure what to do, cleared his throat. "Are you looking for Alfred?" He asked, and the woman's scowl got deeper at the mention of Alfred's name.

"As a matter of fact, I am not." She said with a sniff, straightening herself up to her full height, (which was not very tall at all), and giving him a cold look. "But before I say anything else, would I be correct in guessing that you are his, ah… new roommate?" She asked, giving him a quick look over with a small frown.

"I am currently rooming with him, yes." Ivan said slowly, not sure where this strange old lady was going with this.

"And is this a permanent arrangement?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"It is a temporary arrangement." Ivan said, starting to get annoyed with all of her questions.

She made a small hum of approval at this, nodding her head slightly. "Good."

"I am sorry, but I must ask you why any of this is your business." Ivan said, giving her an annoyed frown. "And may I ask who you are, and why you are looking for me?"

The old lady paused for a moment, then she let out an annoyed huff, rearranging her grip on her purse. "I suppose so. I am Mr. Jones's neighbor from across the hall. And I am here to make sure that he is not breaking any of the rules of the building. I wanted to make sure he wasn't housing one of those hooligans that have been loitering around the apartment, and to tell you that I shall not tolerate you causing any problems around here."

"I am sorry?" Ivan asked in disbelief, his jaw dropping at her entitlement.

The old lady narrowed her eyes at his tone. "Listen here young man, I have lived here for as long as this building has been open, and I have thrown out more than one trouble maker. Mr. Jones has caused me grief in the past, and I wouldn't put it past him to invite less than savory characters into his apartment, like those brothers of his. One nearly burned the building down, and the other one is drunk more often than not when he comes over, shouting and cursing and waking me up as he goes down the hall. Not to mention those suspicious men that come and go from his apartment! So I think I am well within my rights to assume that you might be the same."

"That is rather rude of you, to judge someone you have never met." Ivan said with a glare at the lady. "Tell me, have I bothered you at all this last week, or do you just like to stick your nose were it is not welcome?"

"How dare you speak to me like that!" The woman said, sucking in her breath sharply. "And as a matter of fact, you have bothered me! I heard you arguing with him through the walls a few days ago! No doubt over something illegal. Don't think I haven't noticed him living here without a proper job or parents! No doubt making money selling drugs. How else would he be able to afford this place?" She asked with a sneer.

"I would love to know what kind of mental gymnastics you went through to get to that conclusion." Ivan said with a snort of laughter, shaking his head in disbelief. "If that is all, I am afraid that I have nothing else to say to you." And with that, Ivan slammed the door on her face. As he turned back to his movie, he heard the old woman screeching about going to the land lord to throw him out and how she would throw Alfred out of the apartment. It reminded him a bit of when his sister started going on a rampage. He paused for a moment, listening to the woman rant, then he calmly turned back around and locked the door, and then went back to his movie like nothing happened.

About a half an hour later, Ivan heard Alfred unlocking the door, and he walked in with a number of grocery bags in his hand and a confused look on his face.

"Hey, did something happen while I was out?" Alfred asked as he kicked the door closed behind him.

"Why?" Ivan asked, glancing over at Alfred as he walked into the kitchen and dumped the bags onto the counter.

"Well, Mrs. Graves was going off on Greg in the lobby when I got back from shopping, and when she saw me she started to point at me and started to call me a drug lord?" Alfred said with lost look on his face as he started to put the groceries away. "I mean, it wouldn't be the first time, but it's been a few months since she accused me of that. I have no idea what I did to piss her off this time, so I was wondering if you knew what caused her to go on a rampage."

"Oh, that crazy old woman?" Ivan said with a neutral expression. "She came over trying to snoop, so I called her rude and slammed the door on her face."

Alfred almost dropped the gallon of milk in his hand, and whipping around he stared at Ivan with a horrified expression. "You did what?!"

"I called her rude and slammed the door in her face. She was very rude." Ivan said with a small smirk. "I simply returned the favor."

"Please tell me you didn't." Alfred begged.

"Is that a problem?" Ivan asked curiously, and Alfred let out a sigh, and rubbed his eyes.

"Dude, do you have any idea what you've done? You made us both her number one targets. She's going to be watching us like a hawk and reporting us to Greg if we even make the slightest loud noise. Do you know how annoying it is when you're trying to do nation stuff with her breathing down my neck every second of every day? Hell, I once had to start talking to my boss in code when I spoke to him on the phone because she kept trying to listen to what I was doing through the walls and confronting me about anything she heard, or she was gossiping about what I said to the other old people in the building."

"So she is crazy." Ivan said with an amused look. "I am surprised you have not solved the problem of her listening to you yet. It is quite easy to solve, especially with old people."

"Oh, and what's that?" Alfred asked with a frown.

"You turn up the volume on your computer all the way and then you find a video of fake sex noises-"

"Oh my fucking god, NO! I do not need my other neighbors hearing that!" Alfred said in disgust, turning back around to the groceries.

"What? Are you afraid of some fake noises?" Ivan said with a scoff.

"Dude, who do you think she's going to assume I'm making those noises with? I'll give you a hint. There are only two people currently here." Alfred said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, your land lords already think you are gay…" Ivan said with a smirk, and Alfred gave him an unimpressed look.

"I swear to god, if you keep making jokes about us being together I'm going to kick you out." Alfred threatened, pointing at him with a carrot.

"I feel so threatened." Ivan said with a chuckle.

"As you should be." Alfred said.

"By the way, she mentioned that you had 'Strange men' visiting you." Ivan asked curiously. "Do you know what she means by that?"

"Oh, that's just the CIA visiting time to time." Alfred said with a shrug, and Ivan almost choked on his popcorn. "Sometimes I'm working on something that's too sensitive to be sent through fax or email, so they stop by and pick it up personally. That's why she thinks I'm a drug dealer I think."

"The CIA stops by?" Ivan asked in shock, turning around and staring at Alfred in horror.

"What? Is that not normal?" Alfred asked, surprised at Ivan's reaction. "Doesn't your government do the same thing?"

"Yes, but that is not important! You mean to tell me I almost invited the mafia over when you have the CIA hanging around all the time?!" Ivan asked, his face losing color. "Do you know how badly I would have been screwed if I would have led them into a trap?!"

"Don't worry about it." Alfred said, waving his hand carelessly as he finished putting the food away. "They only show up when I'm working on sensitive stuff."

"Is this living arrangement not a sensitive project?" Ivan asked, looking skeptically at Alfred. "Would that not give them enough reason to hang around the building?"

Alfred paused, and then he shook his head. "Nah, my government usually gives me a heads up when they're around so I don't blow their cover. Plus, I got rid of any government secret stuff before you arrived, so they shouldn't have any reason to be watching us right now. And anyways, why are you so jumpy? It's not like the mafia knows what we really are."

"No, but it is annoying when they put on a hit on you." Ivan said with a scowl. "Pretending to be dead for years on end can be a pain when they 'kill' you."

"Whoa, how many times have they killed you?"Alfred asked in surprise. Ivan rolled his eyes.

"Once, but it took a long time before they forgot what my face looked like, and luckily I was going under a fake identity at the time, so I was able to get back to my life after a couple of decades after the last head died. They are currently under the impression that I am the son of the man they killed, and that I never knew my father, so I do not know that they 'killed' him. They only approached me when they found out I work for the government. And the reason they owe me favors is because I have pulled them out a few tight spots."

"That sounds like a really dumb soap opera." Alfred said, bursting out laughing, leaning against the bar. "Tell me, when do you go and avenge your 'fathers' death?"

"Never, hopefully." Ivan grumbled. "I do not need the attention pointed my way again."

"That sounds like it sucked dude. I'm really glad that whenever I've died it's only during war time. Getting murdered sounds like a pain in the ass." Alfred said with a sympathetic look. "At least if I 'die' during a war no one asks questions."

"I am surprised your government has never killed you." Ivan said. "After all, I'm sure someone has wanted to shut you up before."

"Oh please, they love me." Alfred said with a cocky grin. "After all, who wouldn't love me?"

"No comment." Ivan said.

"Rude." Alfred said, sticking his tongue out at Ivan. "Anyways, I would really appreciate it if you didn't make Mrs. Graves hate me anymore than she already does. Remember, I have to live with her for a while longer, and it's really going to suck if she starts to stalk me again."

"I shall make no promises." Ivan said with a slight frown. "She annoys me."

"At least don't do it so Greg doesn't have to put up with her more than he already does. That dude has too much shit to do without her bothering him." Alfred asked.

"I suppose I'll do for him." Ivan said, making a mental note to annoy the old lady the next time he saw her.

"Thanks." Alfred said, looking slightly relived. "By the way, when did Ukraine say she was coming over? I picked up some extra stuff for if she comes over."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. She will probably fly in sometime tomorrow morning if the plane is not delayed due to the weather."

"And are you, ah… ready to break the news to her that we are not dating?" Alfred asked, and Ivan grimaced.

"I am as ready as I ever will be. I apologize in advance if she starts crying." Ivan said, as Alfred made his way to the couch and flopped down next to Ivan.

"What are you watching?" Alfred asked.

"Die hard."

"Ohhh, that's my favorite Christmas movie!" Alfred said with a smile, snagging the popcorn bowl from Ivan.

"Do you want me to play it from the beginning?" Ivan asked, picking up the remote.

"Hell yeah!"

 ***SOMEWHEREINNEWYORK***

Canada had been having a good day. He had woken up late, made himself a nice breakfast, finished a book he had meaning to catch up on, and had just started making himself a large sandwich for lunch. All in all, things had been good. Best of all, he hadn't gotten anymore calls from anyone about the world ending. Between his brother rooming with Russia, France causing a global uproar, and England being sick and angry at him, Canada was glad everything was calming down. He didn't think he could take anymore drama right now.

Humming happily as he spread some mayo on his sandwich, he had just reached for the top of the sandwich when there was a frantic knocking on his door. Confused, Canada looked over at the door in confusion. He hadn't been expecting anyone, and he was pretty sure France was still in hiding. Maybe it was room service?

"Coming!" He yelled, hurrying over to the door and opening it. At first, he wasn't sure who he was looking at. Then as the person's face went white in shock and they dropped the suitcase they were holding, Canada felt his face fall.

Someone was messing with him. He was sure of it. There was no way in hell this would happen to him unless someone wanted to suffer. Why else would this be happening to him? Maybe he was being punished for something he did in the past? Maybe it was the universe trying to balance out all of his good luck? Maybe this was karma coming to bite him in the ass for forcing Al to apologize to Russia? Whatever the reason, a nearly crying Japan showing up on his doorstep out of the blue was surly not a good sign for his future.

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait everyone, but I have returned, with even more PLOT POINTS! :D And a cliff hanger! YAY! We finally get a glimpse into Alfred's and Ivan's past history! But only a small glimpse. For now. Maybe Ukraine can tell some embarrassing baby stories? Ah, the dreaded Mrs. Graves has finally appeared and Ivan is having none of her shit! Let's be honest, we all know someone like this, whether it be at work or at home. But why is she important? Who knows? (Me. It's me.)**

 **And then, Japan reappears in the story, and just when Canada thought he was in the clear. Finally, we get to hear his side of the story! Finally, the redeeming arcs are starting!**

 **Oh, and because someone brought it up, I wanted to address the question of an update schedule. I'm sorry to say, I really don't have one. As any long term reader of my works could tell you, I can be a little spermatic in my uploads, and sometimes I can disappear for awhile. But usually I update the Story every two to three weeks for those who are interested.**


	14. Friends at Last (Day 8)

Canada and Japan stared at each other for a few moments, not knowing what to say. Clearly, Japan hadn't been expecting him to open the door, and Canada realized that gaping at the older nation probably wasn't helping. That, and it didn't help that he had his brother's face. Poor guy probably thought he was facing down his worst fear right now. Canada couldn't help but feel kind of bad for Japan as the shorter nation stared at him like he was some harbinger of death.

"Um, hello Japan. I didn't expect you to show up here." Canada said kindly, attempting to break the awkward silence. "Is there something I can help you with? By the way, I'm not America. I'm his brother, Canada."

"Yes, I know who you are." Japan said with a slight grimace, glancing down the hall longingly like he wanted nothing more than to bolt. "Is France here?"

"Oh." Canada said, shaking his head slightly. "No, he disappeared after the meeting. I think he went into hiding."

"I am sorry, I was under the impression that France was still here. I am sorry for the interruption. If he is not here I will just go…" Japan said, quickly stooping down to grab his bags, but Canada held out a hand to stop him.

"Japan, wait. I've actually been wanting to talk to you." Canada said, and Japan froze. If it was possible, Japan's face lost even more color, and when he glanced up at him, Canada saw a hint of fear in his eyes. Taken aback at Japan's behavior, Canada studied the usually calm nation worriedly. He had dark circles under his eyes, his clothes were crumpled, his usually neat hair was messy, and now that he thought about it, why on earth did he have his suitcases with him? "Is everything okay? Did something happen? Why are you looking for France?" Canada asked worriedly, leaning over to examine Japan closer.

Japan just shook his head quickly, backing away from Canada. "I am sorry, I must go." Japan he muttered, grabbing his bags and turning to make his escape. But before he had even made it two steps down the hall, Canada had grabbed one of his shoulders.

"I don't think so." Canada said firmly, but also kindly. "Japan, I don't know what's going on between you and my brother right now, but I'm not going to take sides. You're clearly not doing well, and I'm not going to let you go off alone in the state you're in. Come inside."

Japan hesitated, glancing back at Canada with a nervous look, but Canada gave him a soft smile. "America is not in there, is he?" Japan asked quietly, and Canada shook his head. Japan glanced down the hall again for a moment, weighing his options. "You will not tell him I was here?" Japan asked, and Canada could make out the silent plea behind his words.

"I won't lie to him if he asks." Canada said slowly, a slight frown on his face. "But if he doesn't bring it up, I won't tell."

Japan hesitated for a few more seconds, and then with a sigh he closed his eyes, and turned to face Canada with a grim look. When he opened his eyes, Canada saw a broken man looking back at him. "I suppose I can stay for a few moments…"

"I was just making lunch." Canada said kindly, gently guiding Japan into his hotel room. He led Japan into the kitchen area, and sat him down at the table. After offering Japan something to drink, and Japan reluctantly agreeing to some tea, Canada found himself quietly chewing on his sandwich across from Japan as Japan stared blankly into his cup. He waited for Japan to explain himself, but it was pretty clear the older nation wasn't going to speak if he didn't have to. So, internally sighing, Canada put his plate down and fixed Japan with a firm look.

"So, why are you looking for France?" Canada asked.

"I am in a similar situation as France." Japan explained with a grimace, picking up his cup and taking a small sip. "After the meeting I got into an argument with China, and I ended leaving my hotel in order to avoid him. Then further complications came up, and I am in need of a place to stay."

"Complications?" Canada asked with a small frown.

"I had intended to head straight home, however my boss had contacted me with instructions to stay in the country until after the meeting in new years. Apparently, America's boss had contacted him and requested I stay until some issues are sorted on their end. I had ended my reservations at my previous hotel and I knew that the others were searching for me, so I thought-"

"That you could hide out with France so the other's wouldn't be able to find you." Canada finished, and Japan nodded guiltily. "Hai."

"Are you sure you're not just hiding because of what you did to Al?" Canada asked bluntly, and Japan flinched slightly. "Of course it is." Canada said with a sigh, leaning back in his chair and giving Japan neutral look over. "So…this thing with my brother. How long has this been going on?"

Japan didn't answer right away, mulling over the question for a few moments. "I am not sure." He finally said, glancing up at Canada with tired eyes. Sighing, he put the cup down on the table, and leaning over so that his elbows were resting on the table, he rubbed his face tiredly. "If I had to guess, I would say I realized I had feelings for him about a few decades after the Second World War."

"I see." Canada said, nodding his head slightly, giving Japan a slightly sympathetic look. "Any particular reason why?"

"I…" Japan said helplessly, looking up at Canada with a lost look. "I do not know why. I just know that I have always been happier when he is around. He always made me feel like I was important, he was always excited to see me or to talk to me, and he made time for me when I wanted to share something with him. He was my best friend. " As Japan spoke, his eyes started to mist up a bit, and he lowered his head so he wasn't looking into Canada's eyes anymore, but into his cup again.

"If you felt that way, why didn't you say anything? Al would have understood, even if he didn't feel the same way. He wouldn't have hated you for that." Canada asked. "If anything, he might have been flattered. Sure, it would have been awkward between you two for awhile, but he would have gotten over it. Why just get jealous when you saw him with other people and follow him around?"

"I could not put our friendship at risk." Japan said miserably. "If he had said no, I did not want him to think I was just trying to be close to him because I had a crush on him. He was my friend first, and I valued our friendship above anything else. But I suppose that was all for nothing." Japan said bitterly, glaring at his reflection in his cup. "It seems due to my foolishness, that our friendship has been turned into ash."

"Hey, I wouldn't say that." Canada said, trying to sound encouraging. "Sure, you messed up, but you can still apologize."

"I cannot. I have burned the bridge already." Japan said, sounding like he was about the cry again. "I cut our ties in a moment of panic and now I do not know what to do."

"What do you mean? What did you do?" Canada asked, feeling dread pool into his stomach.

"After the meeting, I did not want America to confront me before I could get myself together, so I fled from my hotel so he would not track me down. But he must have found out what I did, because he started to call me. I tried to ignore him…I really tired…" As Japan spoke, his words started to tumble out of his mouth in a panic and he looked up at Canada like he was begging him to believe him. "But he would not stop calling. I was not ready to talk to him, and I was… I was scared. I was not ready to tell him how I truly felt about him, so I sent him a text telling him not to talk to me anymore, and then I turned off my phone."

Canada sucked in a breath at that, and stared at Japan in shock. Oh shit. "Please tell me you didn't." Canada begged, and Japan just hung his head in shame and shook his head. "God damn it Japan." Canada said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "This is even worse than I thought. Well, I guess this complicates things. I mean, you don't really need to tell Alfred how you feel because Russia already told him about that-"

"What? What do you mean?" Japan asked in horror, his head snapping up to look at Canada. "What do you mean America already knows about how I feel about him? What do you mean RUSSIA told him?!"

"Oh yeah, you wouldn't have known about that… oops?" Canada said with a nervous laugh. Shit, Al was going to kill him. "Um, yeah, after Al stormed out of the meeting Russia told me he kind of had a mini mental break down because he couldn't comprehend why you would have helped France screw him over, and Russia kind of spilled the beans about your crush on Al to help him understand why you did what you did. Al… didn't take it very well…" Canada said, grimacing as Japan's face fell, and Canada could almost see his heart shattering into pieces.

"What have I done?" Japan asked in horror covering his mouth and tears building up in the corners of his eyes. "And then I told him I did not want to talk to him…what have I done?" Japan suddenly stood up, and turning around he tried to hide the fact that he was trying to rub the tears out of his eyes.

"Um, the bathroom is down the hall and on the left if you need a moment." Canada said, painfully aware of how awkward this situation was. Japan just nodded his head and he quickly left the room to try and compose himself. As the door slammed shut, Canada sat at the table with a frown on his face. All he had wanted was one peaceful day. All he had fucking wanted was a God damn sandwich. Looking down at his sandwich, he scowled at it. It didn't look very appetizing anymore.

What was his brother was going through right now? Knowing him, he had probably locked himself in his room and had probably chosen to hide from the whole situation or blame it on himself. He never was one to handle emotions very well, especially rejection. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling with a worried frown. Poor Al. After all of this was over, he needed to go and check on him. He was going to over think this without someone talking him down. He just hoped that he hadn't been alone when he had gotten that text…

Looking down at his phone, he considered calling him, but then he shook his head. He didn't need to dump Japan on him right now. After he had gotten the full story from Japan he would make his decision. Instead, another idea popped into his head. Clearly, Japan had nowhere to go right now. He and France were on everyone's shit list, and it was pretty clear that Japan had been looking for France for a place to stay and hide out. Clearly, him returning home was no longer an option. So, if he could just get a hold of France…

Nodding to himself, he picked up his phone and opened up his contacts. He couldn't help Japan with his emotional problems, but he could at least find him a place to stay.

 ***Japan's P.O.V.***

It took a while for him to collect his emotions, but finally he was able to gather himself up enough to get cleaned up a little. As he was rinsing his face in the sink, Japan couldn't help but let his mind wander over to America. So America finally knew how he felt about him. That was…not good. Japan glanced at his refection, and looking into his reflection he couldn't help but feel angry at himself. All of this wouldn't have happened if he had only told America how he had felt. If only he had been stronger. If only he had been a little bit braver. Sighing, Japan looked back down at the sink, unable to even look at himself. He had been a terrible friend, and now he had no idea what to do to fix this…

Not only that, but it had been Russia who had told him about his little crush. Japan couldn't help but feel a jealous anger as he thought about Russia. Fucking Russia. It always seemed to come back to him, didn't it? None of this would have ever happened if he hadn't moved in with America. Japan couldn't help but glower at the thought. He wondered what the other nation had told America when he had told America about his crush. When he had given out a secret he had no right to give out. Did he try and make it out so he sounded worse than he really was? Did he try and make himself look better by putting him down? Did he make it sound like he was only using America's friendship just so he could date America?

Japan scowled at the thought. It wouldn't be the first time Russia had gotten in the way. Russia always seemed to take up America's time in one way or another. Whether that be trying to spy on America, or trying to nuke him out of existence, or causing the poor nation to go insane from paranoia. Oh yes, people liked to pretend that didn't happen, but Japan remembered. America had lost his mind for a few years during the red scare due to the mind games Russia had been playing. And then Russia had the nerve to pretend those things never happened and that he could just become friends with America overnight?! Who did he think he was fooling?! Russia just didn't make friends. Not without some ulterior motive. He was up to something, but due to his stupidity, Japan knew that he couldn't prove it. After all, he had all but given up his credibility as soon as he agreed to follow America around.

Guiltily, Japan realized that due to his poor behavior, he had pretty much left his friend alone with one of his worst enemies without an ally. He had let his emotions get in the way, and that had put his friend in harm's way. And before he could confront Russia, he had to make things right between America and himself. But, that was the problem, wasn't it. After all, after all he had done, was he truly any better than Russia? Japan didn't know. Although he had a sinking feeling that somehow he had done something worse. After all, betrayal from an enemy is one thing, but when it comes from a close friend it's much more wounding.

How on earth was he going to make things right?

 ***Canada's P.O.V.***

When Japan finally returned from the bathroom, Canada filled him in on what Al had going through since those photos had gone viral, and Japan listened with a heavy expression. When he was done, Japan didn't say anything, but just nodded his head in acceptance.

"So, what are you going to make this right?" Canada asked, crossing his arms and raising an unimpressed eyebrow at Japan. "I know I said that I wasn't going to take sides, and I'm not, but you have caused my brother a lot of emotional stress this last week, and I think you owe him an explanation. Don't you?"

"I do." Japan said firmly. "But do you think I should talk to him now, or in a few days? I think that it might be best to let things settle and for tempers to lower before I approach him."

"That's up to you, but if you want my personal opinion I would say do it before the end of this week. If you still aren't ready to talk to him by then though, at least send him a text explaining yourself. You at least owe him that much, and if you let things settle to much you might end up having your situation set in stone."

"I see. I will consider that." Japan said with a sigh as he finished his drink. As he did so, Canada handed him a piece of paper. Japan took it, and to his confusion he saw that Canada had written down an address. When he shot Canada a confused glance, Canada smiled a bit. "I got in touch with France, and due to your circumstances he was willing to give me the address of his hotel room so I could give it to you. He would have sent to you earlier, but he said that you haven't turned your phone on in a while."

"You did not have to do that." Japan said sheepishly as he put the paper in his pocket.

"Hey, I'm not going to send you out into the streets. I'm not completely heartless you know." Canada said with a small smile as they got up. When they got to the door, Canada paused just he was about to open the door. "Let me tell you something Japan." He said, suddenly becoming more serious. Japan nodded nervously, and Canada turned around and fixed Japan with a serious look. "Al is going to forgive you for this. And don't think he won't." He added as Japan opened his mouth to protest. "You know why he's going to forgive you? He's going to forgive you because he misses his best friend. You mean a hell of a lot to him. You know you make him happy too right? Every time you hang out with him, or show him your stuff, or just talk to him you cheer him up, because he never had a real best friend before you. He does love you, you know. Platonically, mind you, but he still loves you as one of his dearest friends. And that's very rare for him to care about someone so deeply outside of his family."

Canada narrowed his eyes at Japan. "I'm saying this because I want you to know what you mean to him. I hope you realize that what you've done has really hurt him. I'm not saying that loving him is wrong, but what you did was wrong. I really hope you two make up, but don't ever do this to him again. Because if you do this to him again, know that I'm not just going to sit on the sidelines next time. Do you understand?"

"I do." Japan said, and Canada nodded and opened the door.

"Good luck then." Canada said, and with a final nod, Japan left the hotel room. When he closed the door, Canada let out a relieved sigh and turned back to his sandwich. Finally peace at last. Hopefully that would be the last nerve wracking thing that would happen for the rest of this mess. Now, he thought with a grin, where did he leave that book?

 ***ALFRED/IVAN P.O.V.***

"Is it done yet?"

"No."

"Is it done yet?"

"No."

"Is it done yet?"

Ivan sighed, and turned around from where he was cooking dinner and gave Alfred, who was watching him cook from the kitchen table, a mildly annoyed look. "Asking that question over and over again will not speed up my cooking or time. No." As he turned back around to watch the pot, he heard Alfred let out an annoyed huff.

"But it smells so good." He whined, making grabby motions with his hands at the pot. "Gimme."

"What are you, a child?" Ivan asked with a shake of his head. "It will be ready when it is ready."

"But look at us." Alfred said, picking up Hero, who had been dozing on the table, and holding next to his own face. "Come on dude, it's been two hours already. We're practically wasting away here."

Ivan chuckled at the sight of Hero blinking tiredly at him and Alfred trying to look pathetic, and just shook his head again. "Then I am afraid you will both have to starve for a little longer."

"This is animal abuse. I'm going to call P.E.T.A on you."

"I will be sad to see you go." Ivan said with a smirk. Alfred stuck his tongue out in response. Hero, irritated that his nap was ruined, lightly nipped at Alfred's hand which prompted Alfred to let the cat go. With a huff, Hero jumped off the table and ran out of the room, leaving Alfred to rub his hand.

"Look at that, he's starting to eat me."Alfred said, pointing an accusing finger at Ivan with a small pout. "This all your fault. Why on earth did you choose something that takes hours to make?"

"Maybe you should do something else while you wait?" Ivan suggested, said as he opened the oven to check on his food. "Sitting in here and watching me is not very entertaining, and the smell is just going to make you hungrier."

"Well, there's not much to do, is there?" Alfred asked with a shrug. "I don't have any more official work until after New Years due to us living together, and honestly I'm kind of getting sick of watching movies all the time. You're the most interesting thing in this place right now, so I'm going to keep bugging you."

"I would think watching paint dry would be more interesting." Ivan said with a small laugh. "I am only cutting up potatoes."

"Yeah, I know." Alfred said with another shrug.

"Is it because you think I'm handsome?" Ivan teased, and Alfred rolled his eyes and pretended to gag again, which caused Ivan to start laughing.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" Alfred asked, and Ivan shook his head happily.

"No, I am not. I shall use it against you forever." Ivan said with a smile. Then he tilted his head slightly, glancing down at his phone which he had put on the counter next to his cooking. "If I were to text England right now and tell him that you said that, how fast do you think he would get here and try and kill me?"

"Oh man, he'd probably teleport here with a shotgun in his hand on sheer anger alone." Alfred said with a shake of his head. There was a brief pause, then Alfred narrowed his eyes at Ivan, who was still looking at the phone. "Why?"

"No reason." Ivan said, slowly reaching his hand over to his phone.

"Don't you dare!"

"What? It would be funny to see him so angry again." Ivan said with a slight smirk, his finger hovering over the call button.

"If you do that, I'm going to unblock your sister and tell her you kissed me."

Ivan's hand quickly pulled away from his phone, and he turned around and pouted at Alfred. "You are a spoil sport."

"No, I'm being the responsible one in this relationship." Alfred said with a smirk of his own. "No need to bring in the In-laws if we don't have to."

"I suppose you have a point." Ivan said with a sigh, and turning back to his cooking. "It still would have been funny to hear him threatening me though."

"Yeah, until he breaks down my door and Mrs. Graves has to call the cops on us because that "Crazy Drunk Man" is trying to murder the guy who just called her a nosy woman this morning. The last thing I need is the cops on my ass."

"Because you sell drugs?" Ivan asked, and Alfred rolled his eyes again.

"Yeah, all the drugs. So many drugs." Alfred said sarcastically, waving at an empty corner of the kitchen. "I honestly don't know what to do with all of them. Look at all of the space they're taking up!"

"Very impressive." Ivan agreed with a small chuckle.

"I have no idea what goes through that woman's head sometimes, honesty." Alfred grumbled. "I swear, from the way she acts you'd think she owned the place. Even Mrs. Carol can't stand her, and that woman has the patience of a saint."

"Speaking of Mrs. Carol, when are you going to volunteer at the soup kitchen?" Ivan asked as he tipped the potatoes into the soup.

"Hmm, I think I'll probably head over after Ukraine visits. I'll be helping set things up, so I'll probably be heading in sometime early in the morning." Alfred explained.

"What do you do there?" Ivan asked as he stirred the pot.

"Me? Nothing much really. I just carry around some of the heaver boxes and equipment to where they're needed, or help prepare the food for the day. You know, peeling potatoes, cleaning dishes, taking out trash, that sort of thing." Alfred said with a slight shrug. "If it's not too busy I'll sometimes sit with the homeless folk who are eating and let them tell me their stories. If I can, I try to set up connections for them."

"That is very kind of you." Ivan said, turning around and giving Alfred a small smile. "Not many of the nations who are as busy as you can put aside time to help their citizens personally. It is very kind of you to set aside time to help others yourself when it would be easier to just send in some money to charity."

"I'm just doing what's best for my citizens." Alfred said sheepishly, brushing off Ivan's complement with a small wave of his hand. "Sure, I send in money as well, but it doesn't feel like enough, you know? I mean, money's great and all, but I like getting my hands dirty as well. It makes me happy when I can make someone's day by just doing something as simple as talking to them. But really, I'm only doing the small things. It's really Mrs. Carol who's making the difference. After all, she's the one who opened the soup kitchen."

"She could not do it alone." Ivan pointed out.

"I mean, there are other volunteers too…" Alfred said awkwardly, and Ivan just shook his head fondly at Alfred's behavior. "Hey," Alfred said suddenly, looking up at Ivan with a slightly hopeful look. "why don't you join me? At the soup kitchen, I mean. I know Greg already invited you, but you didn't seem sure then. It'll be fun!"

"Me?" Ivan asked in surprise.

"Sure! It would be great to have another person there who could do some more of the heavy lifting, and we're always a little understaffed so we could use the extra hands! Mrs. Carol would be thrilled to have you of course, and if you want we can do something afterwards!" Alfred said with a big smile, starting to get excited at the idea. "There's this really cool little antique store about a block away from the place that we can take a look at, or if you want we could go sightseeing! There are a few places where you can take a guided tour of some of the older parts of the city, or we if the weather is good we can go take that trip to Liberty Island! Oh, we could also-"

Ivan studied Alfred as he rambled, and for some reason he felt a sudden fondness for the younger nation as he continued to chatter happily away, his eyes sparkling excitedly as he described a restaurant he wanted to take him too. It was nice to see him so happy after how miserable he had been for the last week. Ivan had always preferred it when Alfred was cheerful, as it suited his character better. He couldn't help but smile a little as Alfred started to use wild hand gestures to describe how good the food was. He was so used to the people being quiet, reserved, distant, or angry around him, or just being alone. It was nice to be around someone who was not only able to be cheerful and happy around him, but also wasn't scared of him.

"Anyways, you'll come, right?" Alfred asked eagerly, looking at Ivan expectantly. "It would nice to have a friend there with me."

Ivan paused for a moment. "Friend?" He asked Alfred slowly, his heart stuttering a bit at the word. Did he really mean…?

Alfred's face fell a little at Ivan's hesitance. "Yeah, we're friends now, right? I mean, I know we don't get along well as America and Russian, but we're friends as Alfred and Ivan, right? I mean, you didn't argue with me the other day when I said you were my friend, so I just assumed…" Alfred said awkwardly, suddenly looking embarrassed. "Sorry, I shouldn't have jump to conclusions, I just thought-"

"No! We are friends!" Ivan said quickly, a panicked look spreading over his face as his heart rate skyrocketed in terror at the thought of Alfred leaving before he had a chance to explain himself. "We are friends, but I did not think that you meant that we were real friends then, because you were half asleep and I was not sure you meant what you said!"

Alfred blinked in surprise at Ivan's panicked reaction, clearly not expecting him to have such an extreme reaction to his words. Then he relaxed a little and let out an amused chuckle, shaking his head. "Of course I meant what I said, doofus. Why else would I say that? Plus, I've cried on you way to many times now for us to not be considered friends." Alfred joked.

Ivan didn't respond right away, instead looking down at the floor as he struggled with the sudden explosion of feelings that had erupted in his chest at Alfred's words. He honestly didn't know if he should laugh or cry. They were friends. He had a friend. He actually had a real friend. Not because he had threatened or scared someone into staying with him, but because they had genuinely wanted to be friends with him. He had a friend who would joke around with him without being scared of him, a friend who was more than happy to have deep and stupid conversations with him, and best of all he had a friend who didn't only see him as Russia, but as Ivan too.

Ivan felt his eyes misting up, and before he could stop them, tears started to silently stream down his face. He tried to lower his face down further to hide them as he tried to wipe them away, but Alfred had already noticed and a look of panic rapidly grew across the younger nations face as he started to stand up.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry!" Alfred said in a panic, quickly getting out of his chair and awkwardly hovering in front of Ivan, who was now full on ugly crying and desperately trying to wipe away his tears, unsure about what to do. "I swear, I didn't mean it when I called you a doofus! I swear, I didn't mean it! If it makes you feel better, you can punch me or something! Please just don't cry, I'm horrible at comforting people too you know!" Alfred pleaded, looking around the room for his phone. "Shit, if I knew you would react like that to being called doofus I wouldn't have said anything! Hell, where is my phone, I need to call Mattie. He's better at this then I am."

Ivan let out a watery laugh, and shook his head. "I am not crying because you called me a doofus."

"Then what did I do? God damn it, I can't do anything right when it comes to people, can I?" Alfred said, giving Ivan a lost look. In response, Ivan reached over and pulled Alfred into a bone crushing hug, and Alfred felt all of the air in his lungs leave his body.

"Why is it always hugs with you?!" Alfred wheezed in mild frustration as Ivan buried his face into Alfred's shoulder. "Am I just your personal teddy bear now?! Stop squishing me, I'm not a bug! Don't you dare drip snot on me!" Alfred shrieked as Ivan half laughed half cried into his shoulder. "Oh my god, use a tissue not my shirt!"

"But you were closer." Ivan joked weakly.

"You're so gross! That's it, get out of my house!" Alfred said, trying to escape from Ivan's grip, but he wasn't really trying that hard to escape, and was struggling to hide the small smile that was spreading over his face. "I draw the line at being used as a tissue!"

"I let you cry on me." Ivan said with a wobbly smile. "I think you owe me at least one shirt."

"I'm going to tell everyone you're just a softy who likes to cuddle." Alfred threatened, but Ivan just laughed in response. "No one will believe you." Ivan said, and Alfred let out an exaggerated sigh.

"I guess you're right." Alfred said, and to Ivan surprise and delight, Alfred stopped fighting him and gave him a quick hug back, patting him on the back. "And no one is going to believe you about this. Now come on you big lug, stop crying. It doesn't suit you. You're supposed to be the scary grizzly bear, not the soft teddy bear, remember?" Alfred said. "And for the love of god, will you please let me go?! You're going to bruise my ribs!"

"What, the powerful America can't handle a hug?" Ivan joked as he let Alfred go.

"Not the ones you give!" Alfred wheezed as he stumbled back slightly, rubbing his ribs. "What the hell are they feeding you over there? Steroids? "

"Vodka." Ivan said with a small smile as he rubbed his eyes. Alfred let out a snort of laughter as he reached over to the counter and grabbed a few napkins and handed them to Ivan. As Ivan blew his nose, Alfred shook his head in exasperation.

"Now come on, why are you crying? Was it something I said? Did I insult you somehow? Is friend a Russia code word for some kind of swear word? Come on buddy, talk to me." Alfred said half jokingly, half guiltily as he pushed Ivan over to the table and sat him down. "Um, and is the pot going to be okay if I leave it on, or do you want me to turn it off? Cause I don't want to ruin your cooking because I made you cry and-"

"Wow, you _are_ bad at this." Ivan chuckled, and Alfred puffed his cheeks out in irritation.

"Come on man! I'm really trying!" Alfred whined, which caused Ivan to laugh again. "You know I suck at all this emotional bullshit! Work with me here!"

"I am not upset. I am happy." Ivan said as he rubbed his eyes, and Alfred gave him a blank look.

"You're crying….because you're happy?" Alfred said slowly, and Ivan nodded.

"No one has ever told me that they are my friend before that was not under my control. I am sorry for confusing you, I got a little overwhelmed." Ivan explained, and Alfred's face softened a little.

"Hey, it's fine. I was just a little worried is all. I felt the same way when Japan said he wanted to be my friend for the first time after the Second World War. I know what's it's like." Alfred said, sitting back down across from Ivan.

"You did?" Ivan asked in surprise, and Alfred nodded slowly, gazing down at the table with a slightly sad smile.

"Yeah. I mean, it's not like I didn't have any allies before that, but after the bombs I honestly didn't think he'd want to have anything to do with me. And it's not like I treated him the greatest before that either. I mean, I did kind of kick down his front door and demand he talk to me or else." Alfred said with a small laugh. "I don't know how, but somehow even after all my bullshit he came up to me after a meeting one day and asked me if I wanted to come over to his place for a cup of tea."

Ivan saw Alfred's smile grow a little sadder as he talked, but didn't interrupt him as he continued.

"It kind of became a thing after awhile. If I was in Asia, we went to his house afterwards and hung out, and if we were in North America he would come over to my house. It went like that for a few years, and then one day while we were playing a board game at his house, he suddenly thanked me for being a good friend. I just smiled and said no problem, but I was really excited. I've had a lot of people thank me for being a good ally, but I had never been thanked for being a friend. If you think about it, it's not too different from how we became friends." Alfred said with a grin, and he gave Ivan a real smile. "Except in our case, we became friends faster because we've been living in the same house, and have had to put up with each other's and other peoples bullshit!"

Ivan let out a bark of laughter at that, and Alfred beamed back at him. "So," Ivan asked in amusement, "when did you become best friends?"

"Honestly? I have no idea." Alfred said with a shrug. "There isn't just one moment where you can tell, you know?"

"No, I cannot." Ivan said with a huff, and Alfred rolled his eyes.

"It's a figure of speech! God!" Alfred huffed back. "Stop killing the mood! You have a friend now, you don't have to sulk anymore!"

"But I like to sulk." Ivan said with a small smile. "It gives me something to do on those, long, cold nights when I cry myself to sleep because no one loves me."

"Now you're just being dramatic. I know for a fact your sisters loves you." Alfred said, pointing an accusing finger at Ivan.

"Ukraine? Yes. Belarus?" Ivan said, a grimace growing on his face. "That is a…complicated topic I'd rather not talk about."

"Speaking of which, don't think I've forgotten my question! Are you coming or not! To the soup kitchen?" Alfred asked, staring at Ivan in determination. "Come on, I know you want to! Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with sprinkles on top? Pretty please-"

"Are you going to annoy me until I say yes?" Ivan asked.

"Yes." Alfred said, and Ivan rolled his eyes.

"This is how you get your brother to follow your stupid ideas, isn't it?"

"Maybe…"

"I suppose so. But I see any other nation there I will leave." Ivan warned, and Alfred let out a cheer.

"Yay for friendship!" Alfred said, and Ivan couldn't help but grimace.

"If you start to sing about rainbows and how friendship can save the world, I will not be your friend anymore." Ivan warned. "I will pretend I do not know you."

"Kill joy." Alfred said with a chuckle. "Oh, and the pot is starting to catch fire."

"WHAT!?"

 _ **A/N:**_ **My poor brain. Do you guys have any idea how many freaking notes I've had to write for myself to keep track of everything? Too many… ANYWAYS! I know times sucks right now due to quarantine. I have never had to clean so much in my life. I have done nothing but binge watch movies and t.v shows for the last two weeks. I am now currently unemployed. :( But at least I have more time to write! :D Next time, Ukraine comes to visit, and England starts to make his move!**


	15. Baby stories (Day 9)

"Look, all I'm saying is that it would be better if both of us talked to her!" Alfred said, squinting through the rain hammering down on his windshield. They were currently making their way to the airport, and had been arguing for the better part of that morning about how they were going to break the news about them not being an item to Ukraine without crushing her newfound happiness. Alfred was in the driver's seat, with Ivan sitting in the passenger seat glowering at said American. Alfred glanced over at Ivan, and then rolled his eyes. "Stop trying to be a martyr. It's not like we're facing your younger sister here! Ukraine is going to understand us better if we explain what happened together."

"No, she is my sister, and she will want to hear it from me first before she see's you." Ivan snapped. "You are going to drop me off in front of the building, and then you are going to wait for me in-"

"Excuse me, just who do you think you are talking to here? You are not in charge here mister! You have no authority over me! Don't think you can boss me around now just because we're pals!"

"That is not what I meant and you know it! I was just trying to explain-"

"Explain?! That didn't sound like explaining to me!"

"Will you let me finish my damn sentences?!" Ivan snapped, and Alfred scowled back at him.

"Fine, whatever."He said, motioning a hand for Ivan to continue. Ivan shot Alfred a warning look, which Alfred promptly ignored in favor of pulling into the airport.

"As I was saying, it would be best if you waited outside in the parking lot before you see her. She wouldn't want to hear the news from you because you wouldn't be nice about. You would just be blunt and to the point, which would make her cry and run away."

"I would not!" Alfred said, turning to yell at Ivan. Instead, he was met with a pointed look from the taller nation. "Well, maybe a little." Alfred admitted reluctantly. "But come on, it's better if we tell her the news quick and easy, and then answer her questions. And do it together!" He added before Ivan could argue. "If we do that we can do damage control easier, and she can be mad at both of us, not just you! Look, if I had made a mistake like this I would prefer it if both people would come to me and explain things."

"Says the man who did not want to confront the world with me." Ivan huffed. "What is with the change of attitude?"

"That's was completely different and you know it!" Alfred said angrily. "We're only dealing with one person here, not the whole damned lynch mob! I'm telling you, this time we need to do it together!"

"You do not understand my sister at all, do you." Ivan said with a shake of his head.

"What?" What am I missing here?" Alfred asked angrily, jerking the car into a parking space and slamming the car to a stop, which nearly caused Ivan to slam his face into the windshield. The only thing stopping that was his seatbelt. Alfred turned off the car and turned to glare at Ivan, who glared back at him. "Go on then! Tell me!"

"Let me put it this way then. If you were delivering bad news to your brother, and you knew he had been super excited about something, AND you knew he would burst out into tears when you told him said bad news, would you like it if I came along and watched?"

Alfred glared at Ivan for a moment, but Ivan saw his resolved crumbling a bit as he watched Alfred think it over. Finally he let out a small huff and looked away, crossing his arms stubbornly. "I still don't think it's a good idea. I mean, it's not fair if she blames you because you were the one to break the news to her." Alfred grumbled.

"I am sure she would not think that." Ivan said soothingly. "She is not one to jump on people when she is upset. She is much more willing to listen than Belarus. I do not want her to be more embarrassed than she will already be is all."

"I'm telling you, that's a bad idea." Alfred insisted. "Look, how about this. You go meet her first at luggage claim, and before she talks to me you break the news to her. I'll stay far enough away where you can call me over if you need me, but far enough away to bugger off if you need some privacy. Happy?" Alfred asked.

"Bugger off?" Ivan asked in amusement. "You sound like England."

"Yes or no?!" Alfred snapped.

"No need to be touchy." Ivan chuckled as he opened the car door. "If it stops us arguing anymore, I suppose this compromise can work."

"Oh, thank fuck for that." Alfred said as he got out of the car as well, slamming the door shut a touch harder than necessary. "Arguing with you is like talking to a brick wall."

"I can say the same for you. Now, I must warn you, if she starts to cry then you must leave." Ivan said in a serious tone. "I do not want you to make her more uncomfortable than she will be by staring at her."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Alfred grumbled as they walked into the airport. "Let's just hurry; I only have a thirty minute parking space."

As they walked into the lobby, there was a slightly agitated air between them. Ivan wasn't sure, but thought he saw a few people avoiding them as they walked by. He wouldn't be surprised if they were both giving off slightly scary vibes at that moment. It tended to happen when they had arguments with each other at world meetings. Though he was surprised that Alfred would let it out at all in public, as he didn't do it often unless he was truly agitated. He poked Alfred in the side. When Alfred turned around to bite his head off, he whispered, "I think you are scaring your citizens."

Alfred blinked in surprise, and glancing around he saw the people avoiding them. Looking guilty, he forced himself to relax slightly. "Sorry." He muttered. Shaking his head, he pointed at a nearby Starbucks. "Look, I'm just going to pop over to pick us up some coffee and cool off, okay? What do you want?"

"That is probably a good idea." Ivan hummed. "I do not care what you get me, but would you pick up a large hot chocolate for my sister? It is somewhat of a comfort drink for her when she is upset. It might help her."

"Consider it done." Alfred said, breaking away from Ivan. "See you in a minute."

"Da." Ivan agreed, and he made his way to the luggage claim. When he entered the area, he was amused to see the man he had spoke to, (threatened), before behind the desk. The man spotted him immediately, and the color drained out of face as he saw Ivan approach. Ivan smiled at the man, and the man seemed to sink into his chair and say something into his radio. Before Ivan could try and read his lips to see what he was saying, he heard a happy gasp from behind him, and turning around he saw his sister beaming at him and waving him over from where she had picked up her luggage. As soon as he was close to her, she hugged him with a big smile.

"Oh, let me get a look at you Vanya!" She said happily, stepping back and looking him over, beaming the whole time. "Oh look at you! A taken man at last! I am so happy for you!"

"Ah, about that…" Ivan said, wincing slightly as she looked around them, her face falling a little.

"Where is America? I thought he would be here too?" She asked, looking slightly disappointed.

"I need to talk to you about that." Ivan said, and she looked up at him with a concerned frown.

"Oh no! What happened!?" She asked worriedly. "Is he sick? Is he hurt?! Do not tell me you two broke up!" She asked, tears threatening to fall from the corner of her eyes. Ivan couldn't help but be thankful that Alfred had decided to get those drinks.

"No, of course not. I mean yes. I mean-" Ivan let out a long sigh, and he gestured to a pair of seats near them. "Sit down a moment, Katya. I need to talk to you for a moment."

"Katya?! Vanya, you haven't called me that since the Cuban missile crisis!" She said, getting even more worked up as she sat down. "What happened?! Who hurt you?! Was it France who caused you to separate due to pressure? Did your boss order you two to break up? Did America's boss-" she asked, starting to ramble as she started to panic. Ivan would have been touched by her caring about his love life, if only she hadn't started to cause a scene. He quickly put a hand over her mouth and she froze. Seizing the only moment he'd have to explain himself, he said, "America and I are not dating, nor have we ever been together. That was only a rumor spread by France. We are only friends."

She stared at him in shock, and he quickly took his hand away. "I did not mean to deceive you, I promise I did not, but you were so excited earlier you did not give me time to explain. I promise I will make France pay for deceiving everyone, and I know this is a shock, but please do not be upset." He pleaded. "Alfred is still here, he is just getting us drinks. He wanted us both to tell you, but I did not want him to see you upset."

Ukraine opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying and failing to come up with something to say. Finally, tears started to stream down her face as she choked out, "You? And Alfred? Friends? You two are friends?"

"I am so sorry to be the one to tell you." Ivan said gravely. "I know you came here because you wanted to celebrate, but we can still-" But before he could finish, he was surprised when she burst into tears and hugged him. "I am so happy!" She wailed.

"Katya?" He asked awkwardly as he patted his sister's back, unsure of what was going on. "Um, do not take this the wrong way, but why are you happy? I am sure I told you bad news?"

"You silly boy! I am happy because you have a friend!" She sniffed. "This is better news than you having a partner! How did you two make up? How long have you two been friends? You must tell me everything! Oh Vanya, I cannot tell you how happy I am for you! You have been trying to make friends for so long, I know how much this means to you! Where is America! I must thank him!" She said, dropping Ivan and looking around the room excitedly.

"Um, I think he just came out of the coffee shop." Ivan said weakly, still stunned by her reaction. Spinning around, she saw Alfred awkwardly standing outside the shop watching them. When he noticed her looking at him, he gave her a slightly nervous wave. Bursting into tears again, she ran over to him and crushed him into a hug, and Alfred stumbled slightly as she crashed into him. He tried to save the drinks in his hand. "Whoa!" He yelled in alarm as he found himself being crushed under a hug. "Watch the drinks! The drinks!"

"Oh thank you! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" She wailed, and Alfred's face turned scarlet as passersby's turned and watched the scene unfold. "You don't know how happy I am!" She took his face and kissed him on both cheeks, and Ivan couldn't help but snicker as he saw Alfred's face turn an even brighter red. He swore the poor man's face was glowing by the time his sister finally let him go. Ivan was sure he heard a few wolf whistles from the forming crowd. Ivan made a note in his head to kill those people later.

"Um, you're welcome?" Alfred squeaked, his voice slightly higher than usual as he hunched his shoulder and tried to fix his glasses, as they had been become crooked from the hug attack. A crowd had formed around them now, and Ivan noticed some people had pulled out their phones. Realizing that things were getting out of hand, he quickly got up and pushed his way into the circle with her bags as she continued to shower the confused American with praise.

"Katya, Alfred, I think it's time to go." Ivan said, taking both their arms and dragging them towards the exit. He heard the crowd cheering as they left, and poor Alfred just looked embarrassed and baffled by what just happened. When they finally made it into the parking lot, Alfred pulled himself out of Ivan's grip and turned to face the man with a slightly bemused look.

"Hey, I just have to ask. Is it normal for people in your family to cry when they're happy? Because that's kind of weird dude. No offence." He added, giving Ukraine a slightly apologetic look, but Ukraine just beamed at him.

"It is not usually like us to cry, no." Ivan sighed, taking his drink from Alfred.

"I uh, got you a hot chocolate?" Alfred said awkwardly, handing Ukraine her drink, and she let out a gasp of joy.

"Ivan, how dare you hog him to yourself?" She said as she took the cup. "I take it back. He does not deserve you." She said with a laugh, grabbing Alfred's arm. "That is it, since you have not claimed him, he is mine. I cannot turn down a man who brings me chocolate." She said in a teasing tone, winking up at Alfred. Alfred shot Ivan a panicked look, and Ivan couldn't help laugh at the scene. Somehow against all odds, things turned out okay.

 ***EnglandP.O.V***

England glared down at the scarf he was holding, hesitating in front of the door of his hotel room. This was silly, he shouldn't feel so nervous. He was just going to pop down to America's apartment, talk to him like a civilized gentleman, and sort things out. It was only right after what he did. Yes, it was only a simple ten minute ride to his house and a simple knock on the door. They would make up in less than an hour and then they could be civil again. So why was he hesitating?

"Blast it all." England grumbled, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Sighing, he grabbed the door knob and yanked the door open, wrapping the scarf around his neck as he slammed the door behind him as he made his way down the hall with a frown. He still didn't think he did anything wrong, but if the boy was so sure about dating that man he had to talk to him. It was his duty as the older brother to talk to him about relationships after all. It had been the one thing he had never taught the boy about; instead letting those who helped raise him teach him. He had honestly never thought this day would come, and now that decision was going to bite him in the butt.

He had had his fair share of flings in his own life, and couldn't help but smirk at the thought. He had heard America making fun of him a couple times about being an old fart that couldn't get any, but the boy always seemed to forget he hadn't always been a gentlemen. Chuckling at the thought, he made his way over to the elevator. Then he sobered a bit as he thought about those flings. Some of them had been… a little more than a fling. Some had turned into relationships. It had happened at least once for each nation. Not many nations liked to talk about it, and even France refused to even talk about his on some of his bad days, the poor bugger.

America had always been a little unique in that aspect. He hadn't fallen romantically in love with any normal person, but he still acted like the rest of them when it was brought up. Not many people really knew for sure what caused him to act like that, but England knew. It was that little boy Alfred befriended while he had still been a colony of his. It had been the first time he realized he was different, and to the regret of England, he had only found out about Alfred's melt down after Alfred had seen the body of the man in his coffin. Alfred had been inconsolable for days afterwards.

England had always regretted letting Alfred figure out he was immortal without him there to explain it. Usually nations were close enough to explain these things to each other, but due to him being away so much, and Alfred really only interacting with him, Alfred hadn't realized that people aged and died. When he had found Alfred crying, the boy screamed at him for hours about not understanding why his friend had to die, why his friend was lying about the man in the coffin, and why didn't the man wake up like the others. When England had finally explained to Alfred that he would outlive everyone that wasn't a personification, he had locked himself in his room for days. He really wasn't the same afterwards either.

He didn't talk to the people in town much anymore. He stopped making friends with the local children and at one point had just sat in his room and stared out the window for a few years. England knew why. Every one of them had gone through it at some point. He was in mourning for his friend, and had been scared to have anyone normal close to him again in case he lost them too. He had thought it best to not interfere, and to let America think things through on his own before he forced him back to reality again. Thankfully, he had recovered after a few years and had dug into his studies, which eventually led to him growing at an alarming rate. England was sure that was the moment America had really embraced his role as a nation.

He was startled out of his musings when the elevator dinged. With a shake of his head he stepped onto it and pressed the button for the lobby. Well, there really wasn't any use dwelling on past mistakes, was there? No, he had to focus on the present. He and America had much to discuss. Yes…lot's to discuss.

 ***Alfred &Ivan'sP.O.V***

"You mean they said all those terrible things to you!?" Ukraine gasped, covering her mouth in horror. They were in a small local diner that Alfred had recommended near his apartment, and Alfred and Ivan were in the middle of explaining how they had ended up in such a weird situation.

"Yup." Alfred said with a shrug. "Everyone thought I was being brainwashed. Don't even get me started on England and his sword."

"It was funny." Ivan said with a small smile, and Alfred shook his head in exasperation.

"Why is it when people try and threaten you, you end up thinking its funny?" Alfred asked.

"It is funny." Ivan explained, dipping a fry in his milkshake and eating it with a small smile. "It is funny to me when people think they can intimidate me. They seem to forget I can squish them like bugs."

"Ew, that's gross." Alfred said, making a face.

"He threatened you with a sword?!" Ukraine cried, and a couple people glanced over at their table in irritation. She blushed slightly, and Ivan sent the people a dark look when she wasn't looking and they quickly turned back around.

"He threatened you?" She asked again, but this time keeping her voice down. "Oh, how horrible! My poor baby brother!" She sniffed. "If I were there I would have yelled at them. Shame on them!"

"Katya, please." Ivan said, looking slightly embarrassed.

"No! It is none of their business whether or not you are dating! They had no right to ask you those questions! You are my baby brother, and I have every right to be angry about this! When I see France I will give him a piece of my mind!" She said, puffing out her cheeks angrily. "That England too!"

Alfred had to hide his laughter behind a very fake cough as Ivan's cheeks turned a light pink and he hid his face in his scarf.

"I must admit, I was a little disappointed you weren't dating." Ukraine admitted suddenly with a slight frown. "I mean, I have been waiting for so long to tell someone his embarrassing baby stories! Now what am I going to talk about?"

"Baby stories!?" Alfred asked eagerly, and Ivan's face shot out of his scarf as he gave his sister a look of betrayal. "Who said you didn't have to tell anyone about them? I want to know!"

"No! Katya you promised!" Ivan sputtered, suddenly looking very flustered.

Ukraine pretended to think for a moment, and then a small smile grew on her face. "If you do not want to hear them, you may leave." She said to Ivan with a glint in her eyes. "I have waited too long to tell them."

"Was he cute?! Did he have chubby cheeks!?" Alfred asked with a grin, leaning towards Ukraine with a big smile.

"Oh, the cutest and chubbiest cheeks!" Ukraine said with her own grin. "He was so tiny, but he had the biggest eyes! When he was very small, he got lost all the time, so he used to cry unless I let him hold on to my skirt!"

"Kill me." Ivan said, burying his face in his scarf as his face went pink again.

"What was he like?" Alfred asked.

"Oh, he used to run all over the place pretending to be general winter, and he used to make little snow men armies and have mock battles. He did not like the cold very much, and used to hide his face in his scarf all the time! Like he is doing now! He used to run after all the animals in the forest and ask them to be his friends. He got rejected by a hamster once, and he was so sad about it!" She said with a chuckle. "Oh, and at one time he asked me when he would have boobs because he saw that me and Belarus had them." She said with a laugh, and Alfred was almost crying from how hard he was laughing.

Ivan, not amused in the slightest, had practically slid under the table in shame. "It is not that funny." He grumbled as Alfred started to wheeze. "You were the one that said to show my enemies my boobs to make them leave me alone!"

Alfred, who at this point was gasping for breath, broke out into laughter again. "You did what?!" He asked Ukraine, who just blushed slightly. "Well, it did work." She said defensively. "And it is not like I do that anymore!"

"My sister, the flasher." Ivan said in slight amusement.

"Oh please, I saw you try and do it once." Ukraine said in an accusing tone. "You tried it on Prussia, remember?"

"Oh yes, I had forgotten about that." Ivan said with a smirk. "He screamed the whole time he ran away."

"See! I told you it works!"Ukraine said with a chuckle.

At this point, Alfred was crying from laughter and was using napkins to wipe away the tears rolling down his face. "Stop, stop! I can't breathe!" He gasped as he took off his glasses.

"Oh dear, I think we broke him." Ukraine chuckled with a shake of her head.

"Man, you guys sound like you had a lot of fun while growing up!" Alfred said once he had calmed down a little.

"I would not say it was all fun and games, but we had our little moments." Ukraine said with a small smile. "We made our little moment's count."

Ivan smiled a little at that, and Alfred beamed at them. "Man, you're so lucky to have her as your older sibling Ivan! I bet you were so cute as a baby!" Alfred said with a smirk, leaning over and pinching one of Ivan's cheeks. "Now who has baby cheeks?" Ivan glared down at him and playfully smacked his hand away. Alfred laughed in response.

"Oh, I am so happy to see you two getting along better." Ukraine said, beaming at them. I always knew you would one day! I mean, you two used to get along before, so it was only a matter of time!"

"I guess my boss wasn't completely out of his mind with this little project." Alfred admitted, and Ivan nodded in response. "I mean, we'll still probably try to kill each other over politics and he has horrible taste in steak, but outside of that he isn't so bad."

"Um…that is good?" Ukraine said unsurely, giving her brother a questioning look. Ivan mouthed "I will explain later." She raised an eyebrow at that, but decided not to question it further.

"So, how long are you going to be here?" Alfred asked, after he had taken a bite of his burger. "Any plans?"

"Oh, I had not even thought about that!" She said in horror. "I was so excited to come over that I forgot to plan anything! Oh dear, I am so scatter brained sometimes." She said, suddenly looking embarrassed. "I can only stay here for a few days, seeing as my plane leaves in two days. I have no idea where to start!"

"Well, if the weather is good tomorrow you should spend some time touring down town with us!" Alfred offered.

"I would not want to intrude!" Ukraine tried to argue, but Alfred shook his head.

"No, I mean it! The more the merrier! Plus, you make great company and you're so much more fun to talk to than most people I know! You can even tell me more baby stories if you want! I always need more dirt on the big guy!" Alfred joked, and Ivan rolled his eyes as Ukraine looked like she was about to cry from joy again. She turned to her brother with a surprisingly firm look. "Vanya, if you do not grab him quickly I am going to snag him. I mean it! He is too good for you!"

"There will be no dating, period!" Ivan said firmly. "Oh, and Alfred?"

"Yes dear?"Alfred said with a straight face.

"If you hit on my sister I will send a nuke to the White House and kill you. Just a reminder."

"Of course." Alfred said, trying and failing to not smile as Ukraine leaned towards her brother with a small smirk.

"So, does that mean I can flirt with him all I want?"

"Katya!"

"What?! It is a valid question!"

"No!"

"Party pooper." She muttered, but couldn't help but laugh at the almost distraught face Ivan was making at her. "Oh lighten up Vanya, I was only teasing. After all, I actually have my eye on his twin brother."

Alfred spit out his drink at that, and Ivan's eyes went large. "What?! You have a thing for Mattie!?" Alfred managed to sputter out, and Ivan looked like he was about to kill someone or cry.

"I was just joking! Joking!" Ukraine laughed, holding up her hands. "Geez, you two take things so seriously! Calm down!"

"Oh my god, my heart." Alfred muttered, clutching his chest. "I can't take anymore shocks this week. Now I know how England feels after I do stupid crap all the time. I need to send him a fruit basket or something to say sorry."

"Katya, please." Ivan said. "No more teasing."

"Aw, you two are no fun." She said, but she did look a little sorry at her actions. "Well, I suppose I can join you tomorrow! However, I think we should call it a day. I think I should head back to my hotel and sleep off my jet lag. I guess I should get myself a taxi-"

"Oh, don't bother with that!" Alfred said quickly, pulling out his car keys and throwing them to Ivan, who caught them with a confused look. "Ivan can drive you back."

"You are not coming?" Ivan asked, and Alfred shook his head as he stood up.

"Nah, the apartment is just around the corner, so I'll just walk back. You two can spend some time together! I mean, you don't get to spend that much time together, right? I don't mind. Just don't scratch the car, okay? Oh, and I'll take that." Alfred said with a grin, snagging the bill.

"Oh, but I said I would pay!" Ukraine said.

"What's that? I can't hear you!" Alfred said with a chuckle as he walked away towards the exit. "I guess I'll just pay this and be on my way! Bye!" And with that he walked around the corner and was gone. Ivan shook his head at Alfred's antics, but Ukraine looked concerned.

"Should I go after him?" She asked.

"Do not bother. He was not going to let you pay the bill in the first place. He has not let me pay for a single thing without a fight since I came here either. He is just like that."

"Ivan! You should not let him do that!" Ukraine scolded.

"It is not that I let him! He is sneaky about it! He only let me pay for the alcohol he wanted to give the Italian brothers for Christmas, and he still insists that he pays me back!"

"How odd." Ukraine said with a sigh. "Well, should we get going?"

"Da, I think we should." Ivan agreed. But before he stood up, he saw that Alfred had left his leftovers on the table. "Oh, we should not waste food." Ivan said, waving at a passing waiter. "Let us get a box before we go."

 ***Alfred'sP.O.V***

Alfred hummed as he walked towards his apartments. He was in a good mood. A great mood in fact. The rain had let up, the sun was finally shining through the clouds for the first time in days, telling Ukraine he wasn't dating her brother had gone far better than planned, and the whole dating thing seemed to be calming down at last. Now, if he could get home and get a nap, today would be perfect. Smiling to himself, he nearly skipped the whole way back to the apartment.

When he finally got back to his building, he barley even stopped to send Greg a wave before he was bounding up the steps to his apartment. As he got to his door, he reached into his pockets to grab his keys to unlock his apartment, but he was met with an empty pocket. His face fell as he remembered that he had given Ivan his keys.

"Damn." Alfred said, staring at his apartment in disappointment. Well, that was stupid. He stood there for a moment, trying to think about what he should do. "Maybe I left it open?" Alfred muttered, and he tried the door handle, and to his delight he found that he had in fact left it open. "Hell yeah!" Alfred said with a grin, as he opened the door.

"Ah, welcome back." He heard a voice say from his couch, and he froze. Holy crap, was there intruder in his house? Maybe leaving the door open was kind of stupid after all. Slowly looking over at the couch, he felt his heart sink as he saw England giving him a cool look as he petted Hero from across the room.

"I think," England said, still giving Alfred that cool look, "we need to have a chat."

Why couldn't it have been a robber?

 _ **A/N:**_ **I still live! Then again, I haven't left my house in like, four weeks, so… Anyways! Next chapter, talks between siblings! Well, well, well. I bet all of you thought I was going to tear your hearts out, make them lie to her to spare her feelings, or make Ukraine upset didn't you!? Nope! :) Cleared the air for once instead! And of course, caused your favorite boys a little embarrassment as well. There's a little more explanation into Alfred's and Ivan's pasts as well. But how will England and Alfred interact now? Will they make up, or will there be more DRAMA?! (and plot points.)**

 **Oh, and as for the UkrainexCanada thing…yeah, that's not in the plans, sorry. Unless…? We'll see.** _(Wait, no. That would make more plot points! BAD AUTHOR, BAD!)_

 **So, did you guys think I wrote Ukraine okay? I hope so! I'm not super familiar with her character, but I tried my best!**

 **(Edit) : HOLY SHIT I FORGOT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR GETTING THIS STORY OVER 100 FOLLOWERS! OMG, I'M SO SORRY! D: I honestly didn't think I'd ever get a real story to have over 100 people follow it, only my short stories! The first story I kept up with, and it's doing well? Witchcraft! Not really, it's because you amazing people are here! Oh boy… I better keep writing this or you people are going to come after me… *Sweats***

 **Usually, I would do a special chapter on my short stories to celebrate this, but… I kind of need to stay on track for this one. Any ideas?**


	16. Secrets of the Heart (Day 9)

"Okay, hold up." Alfred huffed angrily, walking into the room and slamming the door behind him. "First, I'm pretty sure I locked that door before I left, but seeing as you're sitting in _my_ apartment, on _my_ couch, with _MY_ cat, I can guess that you broke in." He said, gesturing to the scene in front of him and sending Hero a disapproving glare. "Rude. Second, what the hell makes you think you can just barge in here and just demand we talk?! The phone exists for a reason you know! You could have just called like a normal person! You didn't have to pull this James Bond villain act to get my attention. And third, you better have a damn good reason to be doing this, or I'm going to kick you out! Don't think I've forgotten about the shit you pulled at the meeting! You have one minute to explain yourself, or I'm calling Mattie to pick you up."

England sighed, and with a last rub of Hero's ears he carefully put the cat on the floor. Then he sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat. "First, I did not break into your apartment. Well, I didn't break the lock I mean. You did leave the door open. I invited myself in because it's drafty in the hallways here, and I didn't think you would mind. I am still a little sick you see. I see that I was wrong about that. I'm sorry."

Alfred's eyebrow shot up at the apology, but he didn't interrupt as England continued.

"As for the other two points you made, I know I don't have any right demand your attention, but I wanted to talk to you about my behavior towards you at the meeting. That's why I didn't call you see. I felt that what I wanted to say to you would not come off as genuine unless we met face to face. I know…that I am not the best at talking with you sometimes…" England said awkwardly glancing away from Alfred at the floor. "but I do want to talk to you about something important, if you would let me."

Alfred didn't respond, instead weighing his options. "Does this have to do with the argument you had with Mattie?" he finally asked, crossing his arms.

"A bit, yes." England said with a firm nod. "I've been doing some thinking you see, about some of the things he said."

Alfred let out a tired sigh, and he gestured to the kitchen with a grimace. "Fine. Um, but before that do you want something to drink? I think I still have the kettle out, if you want, you know… a cup of tea." he said, wincing slightly at the flinch England gave. "I mean, I only have Asian blends, so if you don't want it-"

"No!" England said a little too quickly. "No, that would be fine. Ah, anything would do, thank you." There was an uncomfortable silence, and Alfred just nodded awkwardly. "Yeah, okay. I'll just get on that then. Okay." He all but fled into the kitchen, and England felt like punching himself in the face for being so awkward about all this. They tried to avoid looking at each other as Alfred pulled down a pair of mugs from the cupboards and waited for the tea to boil. For the next five minutes, the only thing that broke the silence in the room was the sound of the clock ticking away above them. Finally, Alfred walked back into the room with a small tray of cookies, a sugar bowl and creamer, and the mugs and set them on the table between them.

"I don't know what you take in your tea anymore." Alfred admitted as he pushed the tray towards England. "I wasn't sure if your preferences have changed since…you know."

"No, they haven't." England said, taking a few sugar cubes and dropping into the cup. There was another awkward silence as they sat there, unsure on who should speak first. England broke first, clearing his throat again.

"Well, I suppose I should just get on with it then." England said suddenly, putting his cup down. He clasped his hands together, and leaned forwards in his chair. He was still avoiding Alfred's gaze, but he continued on. "First, I would like to talk about my behavior. As you're aware, Matthew and I had a slight disagreement about my actions after you left."

"Yeah, he mentioned that." Alfred said as he poured some of the milk into his coffee.

"He pointed out that I might have been, oh how should I put it, overbearing." England explained. "And well, I've been thinking about it. Although I'm not proud to admit it, I think he was right. I didn't even listen to what you were trying to say to me at the meeting, did I?"

"Not only at that meeting." Alfred said, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice.

"No, not only at that meeting." England agreed, his face falling slightly. "I…haven't been very fair to you these last few centuries, have I?" He asked, looking down at his feet.

"No, you haven't." Alfred confirmed. "Although I have to say, I haven't exactly been the greatest towards you either. Although I thought we had been doing better for awhile now."

"Yes, I had thought that myself. It's just like me to mess it up, isn't it?" England asked with a humorless laugh. Shaking his head, he continued. "I came here because I wanted to apologize, and to let you tell me what's going on. And this time I promise not to get angry and ignore what you have to say. I just want to make sure that you're…well…" England said, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

"That I'm…?" Alfred prompted with a frown.

England struggled to find the words, and then he shook his head. "It depends. First I need to know something. I know I didn't listen before, but whatever answer you give me now I'll take without question. Are you dating Russia?"

"We aren't dating." Alfred said firmly, putting his mug down. "We have never dated, and we currently don't have any plans to date each other any time soon. France and Japan made that rumor up."

"Japan?" England asked in surprise. "Not Kiku?"

"No." Alfred said, suddenly making himself busy with his cup. "Look, what are you here for? What did you want to say?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." England admitted. "When I saw those pictures, I got upset because I knew you've never had any experience with romance, and I got worried about you. I know I overreacted before, and I am sorry about that. I don't trust Russia, and I was worried that he might have been using you for something."

"I can take care of myself you know." Alfred said with an irritated glance at the older nation. "I don't need your help."

"I know that!" England snapped. "Damn it, I know that! But that doesn't mean I can't feel worried about you! You're still my little brother you know, and damn it I don't want to see you getting hurt!"

Alfred gapped at England's confession. Of all the things he had expected him say, that hadn't been it. There was a ringing silence as they stared at each other, then England let out a long tired sigh. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he leaned back into the cushions. "I know you might see it as annoying, but I still do see you as a child, because for a long time that was what you were to me. You were, and still are if we're being honest, like a child compared to the rest of the world."

"I'm not a-"

"Alfred, please! You might be centuries older than most of the normal people in this world, but compared too many other nations you are a child. I'm not saying this to be cruel or to put you down, I am saying this because compared to other places in the world you are still inexperienced. Some of the Asian countries are literal thousands of years older than you! Many of the European nations are several centuries older than you, including myself." England said, looking at Alfred sadly. "You don't have as much life experience compared to the rest of us. I know you grew up quickly, so much more quickly than others. I don't know if that was good for you in the long run, but I know that I never got around to teaching you some things before you left. That's why I worry about you. I know that you can take care of yourself on a political level, but be honest with me, I did a shit job about teaching you about relationships, didn't I?"

Alfred glanced at England uncertainly, but then he looked away. "Yeah, you were kind of shit at that." Alfred admitted.

"I should have been there for you more." England admitted guiltily. "I know you picked up on my bad habits, and I did nothing about that. I know…" England sighed again, "I know I messed up on you. But I don't want to mess up this time. I don't want you getting hurt because I never taught you anything about being in a relationship. I do care about you, even if I'm shit at showing it. Just, if you do ever feel like you are ready to date someone, will you at least talk to Matthew, or me, or hell even the Frog before you do?"

Alfred didn't trust himself to speak, choosing to nod instead. England closed his eyes in relief, then he smirked a little. "I am honestly relived to hear that you aren't in one, especially with Russia." He admitted as he opened his eyes again. "I don't think I could stand to have him as part of the family. Just imagine how awkward Thanksgiving would be."

"He isn't that bad once you get to talking with him you know." Alfred admitted with a small smile of his own. "He's actually quite cuddly."

"Cuddly how?" England asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, you know. He's a good hugger." Alfred said with a small glint in his eyes. "He's very warm. Has very strong arms."

"Alfred!"

"What, I can't help it if the big guy likes to hug! God, you have no idea! He's been practically been using me like a teddy bear for the last few days! Not only that, he hogs the cats!"

"The cats?" England asked in bewilderment.

"Yeah! Hero keeps cuddling him more than me." Alfred said with a pout. "I swear it's because he's like a damn oven! Have you ever touched him? He could melt the snow around him! I have no idea how he doesn't! Anyways, I've come up with an idea to steal Hero and Milashka back."

"Milashka?" England asked in confusion. There was a small meow from under the couch, and Milashka's head popped out from under the couch. He wiggled out, and after shaking his head, he looked up at England curiously.

"Say hello to Milashka! He's Ivan's cat!" Alfred said with a chuckle as Milashka jumped up into his lap with a deep purr.

"I didn't know he had one." England admitted as Alfred scratched Milashka's chin, causing the cat the purr louder.

"Oh, he's just a sweetheart! Anyways, back to the hogging. So, I know that the cat's like warm things, right? Well I have a heated blanket somewhere in the closet. I'm going to pull it out tonight and try and steal them back!" Alfred said with a grin.

"I see." England said in amusement. "I take it that you and Russia are getting along better then?"

"Oh no, I still despise Russia. Ivan on the other hand is pretty chill." Alfred said with a smirk. "As long as we aren't talking politics we get along great. Sort of how you and France get along sometimes when you aren't working."

"Ah, I see." England said with a chuckle. "So that's how you're playing it."

"Yeah. Russia and America are never going to get along." Alfred admitted with a shrug. "But I only have to deal with that side of him at meetings now."

"So, what have you been up two this last week? Have you gone anywhere yet?" England asked as Hero jumped up on his lap and started meowing loudly for attention.

"A few places." Alfred said. "The first day he we didn't go anywhere, but the second day…"

 ***Ivan'sP.O.V***

"…and that is all that we have done in the last few days." Ivan said as they pulled up to the hotel. "Our plans have been taken up by the rumors, so we have only recently started to get back to touring the city."

"It sounds like you two are doing well." Ukraine said happily as they pulled into a parking space. "Well, this is where I get off." She said, suddenly looking a little sad.

"Is something wrong?" Ivan asked worriedly, but she quickly shook her head. "No! I am fine. I am just sad that we could not spend more time together is all." She admitted. "It is so rare for us to spend time together these days. My boss is such a pain sometimes."

"I am sorry. I do not mean to cause you trouble." Ivan said guiltily, but she shook her head.

"It is not your fault. You know that." She said firmly. "But that isn't important right now. We have all of tomorrow to tour the city, and I do not want to be sad while we are together. It is a shame Natalia could not be here though, she would have loved to be with the both of us."

Ivan hummed in agreement. Natalia was usually pleasant to hang around with, but he had a feeling that would not be the case for a few weeks after this was all over. "Shall I help you with your luggage?" Ivan asked, but she shook her head. "No, I can take care of that. But before I go, I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" Ivan asked.

"Why did you call me Katya?"

Ivan gave her a confused look. "Why would I not call you by your name? You are my sister."

"Vanya, sweetheart, you haven't called me that in decades. What changed?" Ukraine asked gently. "I'm not mad, I'm very happy you are calling me by my name again. I just want to know why."

"I do not know. I just wanted to call you that." Ivan said with a shrug, and Ukraine studied his face with a small frown. Then she smiled. "I think he's a good influence on you."

"Who?" Ivan asked in bewilderment. "Alfred?"

"Oh yes. He brings out the best in you." She said with a knowing look.

"Usually he brings out the worst." Ivan said, but she shook her head with a grin. "What? What are you trying to say?" Ivan asked in confusion, but she just giggled. Reaching over she gave him a quick hug and a kiss on his cheek. "I will see you tomorrow Vanya! I cannot wait to see what Alfred has in store for us!" She said with a wink, and grabbing her bags she got out of the car.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Ivan asked, but she just laughed and slammed the door shut. After she had gone into the hotel, Ivan shook his head in exasperation. He would never understand his sisters. Looking down at the clock, he was surprised to see that he had been driving around for at least an hour and a half with her. It hadn't felt like it. Well, he had taken the car for long enough. Alfred was probably wondering where he had gotten off to. He hoped the younger nation didn't think he stole it, although it could be a funny prank to pull on him in the future. Chuckling at the thought, Ivan turned the car around and headed back to the apartments.

 ***China'sP.O.V***

China wasn't having a good week. Not only had he been dealing with back pain for the last few days, (Damn meeting chairs had no cushioning at all!), he had been running all over New York City trying to find Japan in order to give that stupid brat a slap across the face for not listening to his advice. Great, the best thing Japan had going for him, and the idiot had to go and mess it up. He just didn't get young people these days! They never seemed to use their damn common sense. When he found Japan, he was going to give him the worst lecture of his life for being an idiot.

He was currently at a local Chinese restaurant, (Real Chinese, not one of those places that America claimed were Chinese), glaring down at his food. While it tasted rather good, he was too upset to eat anything right now. He had just stopped by Japan's old hotel to try and see if he told any of the other nations staying there knew where he had gone, but no one had any ideas. Everyone agreed that he had been the last one to see him before he disappeared. Sighing, he picked up his tea and took a sip, glaring at the people walking outside the window. He had no idea how he was going to find Japan in a city like this. After all, there were literally hundreds of hotels, and millions of people here. It was going to take a damn miracle to find him at this rate.

Sighing again, China angrily ate his food. Whatever, he'd find him. He could be wait. After all, it only took one mistake to stand out.

 ***FranceandJapan'sP.O.V.***

France sighed, looking up at the ceiling. He and Japan were sitting on the couch in their hotel room. He was reading the newspaper, and Japan had been watching some sort of game show on the T.V. When Japan had showed up the previous day, France had apologized profusely for ruining everything, but Japan had simply said that his actions were his own, and that France had nothing to apologize for. At least, he didn't have to apologize to him. They had spent most of the day just sitting around the room feeling sorry for themselves, and had ordered a pizza to cheer themselves up. France wanted to go out again, but he was worried that someone would spot him and Russia and America would swoop down and kill him.

"I am truly sorry for ruining any romance you could have had with America. I am sure if things had not gone so badly, you would have made a nice couple." France said guiltily again, but Japan just shook his head.

"It was not you he was mad at." Japan said mournfully. "I should have just have been honest with him."

"Ah, heartbreak is indeed a troublesome thing. I am familiar with it. I am sorry you have to feel it my friend." France said sadly. "I hope you two can repair your relationship soon. But you know, I think you are lucky."

"How?" Japan asked miserably.

"If it had been anyone else, you would have lost a friend. But Alfred is not like most of the others. He forgives so easily, and too quickly. He has such a big heart when he is not guarding it. The fact that he allowed you in at all speaks to your character you know. No, you should be happy. Love is fleeting my friend, and it rarely ends happily." France said sadly. Japan glanced over, and saw France staring at the wall with a far off look, like he seeing something Japan couldn't. "Love is beautiful, yes, but it is equally tragic. It's far too fragile. A slight crack can damage the whole heart."

France looked over at Japan with a sad smile. "Friendship is a little more resilient, and can be just as important and as beautiful as a romance. Truly, a good friend can hold a very special place in someone's heart. After all, you can find many people to fall in love with, but how many truly good friends will you have? How many people will forgive you like he will? I do not know many who would. I think he holds you in very high regard, and that is why he is scared of you."

"Scared of me?" Japan asked in confusion. France nodded.

"Oh yes. It is not my story to share, but like many of us, he has a story of loss. He's not scared of romance or friendship per say, he is scared of the fact that he can lose those he holds dear to him. What he was upset about was not that you loved him, but that he could lose you because you love him. After all, look at his history. England left him alone for years, but claimed to love him. His own twin brother, the person he arguably cares for the most, scorched his heart along with the man he considered his older brother, and then left him alone for years. His own people fought each other in one of the worst wars in his history, all because they claimed they loved him. Every normal person he cares for will die before his eyes. Others only use him for his riches, resources, and power, and claim they are his friends. Then say cruel things and laugh about him behind his back. It is not very surprising that he avoids romance when you think about that way."

Japan didn't say anything for a moment, and then he looked down at the floor in shame. "He never said anything to me about that."

"It is not something that is said." France said sadly. "As I said, we all have our own stories. It is just that some people get over it and others do not. Alfred is one of the few who has not gotten over his story yet, probably because he is still young. Then again, this is only my guess. He has never spoken about it, not even to Canada as far as I know. It is only when you start looking through his history that you get the full picture."

"Do you think he will ever fall in love?" Japan asked, and France smirked.

"Maybe. It just depends on how he falls in love. The way you did things was not the right way for him. You cannot just thrust romance on him and expect him to feel the same. No, all that will do is scare him away. I think if he were to ever fall in love, he would have to be the one to develop feelings first, and realize what he is feeling for that person is love. He would probably not take it well at first, but love can be very stubborn, so he would eventually find a way to deal with those feelings in time."

"I see." Japan muttered.

"Do not fret, there is still someone for you out there." France said, and Japan sighed.

"I suppose so. But not the person I wanted." Japan said mournfully.

"Like I said my friend, love is tragic." France said with a small smile.

 ***Ivan'sP.O.V***

When Ivan made it back to the apartment, he saw Greg dozing at the lobby desk. Smirking a bit, Ivan walked over and rang the small bell next to the man. Greg snorted awake, looking around in a panic.

"I'm up!" He said tiredly, but when he saw it was only Ivan he gave him an unamused glare. "Damn it man, I thought you were my wife! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sleeping on the job?" Ivan asked, giving him an innocent smile. Greg let out an annoyed huff.

"Don't be a smart ass. It doesn't suit you. You would be tired too if you had to deal with all the shit that happens around here."

"Oh?" Ivan asked.

"It's that damned Mrs. Graves!" Greg complained. "She's convinced that there's more men hanging out around the building, and she won't stop badgering me about it! I swear that woman see's shadows around every corner these days. I don't know what she's worried about anyways; she doesn't have anything worth stealing anyways! All she has is fake fur coats and moth balls!"

"I see." Ivan said with a small laugh. "Well, I shall let you get back to your nap then."

"Ah, get out of here." Greg grumbled. "Young people these days."

"Oh, and I shall be joining Alfred at the soup kitchen this week." Ivan said, suddenly remembering the promise that he had made the younger nation.

"Will you now? Well, it's about time you did something around here other than sponging off Alfred." Greg said with a smirk. "See you then."

"Da, see you then." Ivan said with his own smirk.

When Ivan finally got up to the apartment, he was surprised to see Alfred chatting away with England on the couch. At least they were, until England noticed him watching them from the doorway. Alfred, noticing the England was looking past him, turned around and smiled at Ivan. "Oh, hey Ivan! I didn't think you would be back so soon."

"You expected me to be out longer?" Ivan asked with a frown.

"Well, yeah. I thought you and Ukraine would spend the rest of the afternoon hanging out. That's why I gave you the car."

"Ah, I see. No she wished to rest at the hotel for the rest of the evening." Ivan explained.

"Oh, cool." Alfred said.

"I think I should leave now." England said, looking down at his watch with a sigh. "I didn't think I would stay here so long, and I have to write up a few reports for my boss. It was good seeing you Alfred. Just keep what I said in mind, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Alfred said, waving off England's concern. "You'll be one of the first ones to know."

"Small comforts." England sighed, rolling his eyes. "Well, I'll see you later Alfred. Good seeing you Russia." England said coolly, and with a final nod to the pair he left. As soon as Alfred was sure he was gone, he let out a sigh of relief and flopped over on the couch.

"Did you have a hard time talking to him?" Ivan asked in amusement as he sat down next to Alfred, who looked exhausted. He snagged one of the cookies off the table as Alfred let out a snort.

"Yeah, at first. But that's not the problem! The problem is acting all neat and proper around him!"

"Why not just act like you usually do?"

"Oh please, if I ever want to have a civil conversation with that guy I have to use the manners he beat into me, or else he complains the whole time. It's just easier this way."

"A shame I was not able to see it. Imagine, you being polite." Ivan said, and Alfred wacked him on the arm.

"Screw you! I'm not polite to you because it you don't deserve it!" Alfred said, sticking his tongue out at Ivan.

"You hurt my feelings."

"Sure I did. Anyways, how was your drive with your sister? Have fun?" Alfred asked, snagging a cookie for himself.

"It was pleasant. She is looking forwards to you giving her a tour tomorrow."

"That's awesome!" Alfred said with a grin. "I was thinking about showing her some of the older parts of town. The weather tomorrow should be nice, so we can even take our time instead of running around. Which is good, because I still haven't gotten a new umbrella yet. I'm still pissed off that someone stole mine from the museum. Oh, we should go shopping tomorrow. I still need to pick up those Christmas presents, and _you_ still haven't told me what you want." Alfred said, glaring up at Ivan.

"Your glare loses its power if you are loafing around." Ivan said, poking Alfred's cheek.

"No it doesn't! I'm super scary!"

"If you keep telling yourself that it might come true." Ivan said with a laugh."

 _ **A/N:**_ **Bam. Surprise fast upload. No one expects me giving a second upload in less than a week! :D This is a present for reaching 100 followers! Ah yes, this is why I can't have you here France. You give away all of my secrets. So the reason Alfred is against romance is finally revealed!** _ **(Please let this work for you guys and not be underwhelming. This is what I was going for since the beginning after all.)**_ ***Sweats even faster* Damn it France, THIS IS WHY I CAN'T USE YOU, YOU CHATTER BOX!**

 **So much is happening in this upload. What am I doing anymore? Why are my characters thinking for themselves now?** **(** **Д** **)** **I swear, I had a totally different story planned out in the beginning! There was no freaking mafia, France and Japan weren't the bad guys, NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE BAD GUY! AHHHHHHHHHH! JAPAN WASN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO LOVE ALFRED, HE WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BUG IVAN AND BE A GOOD BEST FRIEND! THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LET PLOT POINTS TAKE OVER YOUR STORIES!**

 **No but really, I'm having a lot of fun! :D I knew the beginning of the story, and the ending of the story, but god damn this middle part is even throwing me for a loop sometimes! Anyways, I'll try to upload again soon! (Yeah, this isn't normal for me to upload this fast. It's still usually two or three weeks apart usually.)**

 **This author note is a mess. Then again, it's 3am.**


	17. Smaller Moments (Day 9 & 10)

Alfred and Ivan ended up ordering Chinese food for dinner and bumming around in the living room for the rest of the evening. Alfred had ordered a bunch of Chicken lo mein and egg rolls, and Ivan had decided to get a bowl of wonton soup. Alfred was lying on the couch, his head resting on Ivan's lap as he read the news on his phone, and Ivan was reading a book. Their dinners were spread over the coffee table. Occasionally, Hero or Milashka would try to steal a piece of food out one of the takeout boxs, but Alfred would spray them with the water bottle, and they would retreat and sulk under the Christmas tree.

"You know, you could give them a small piece." Ivan said in amusement as Hero tried for the fifth time to steal a piece of chicken out of Alfred's box.

"Nope." Alfred said, not even bothering to look away from his phone as he sprayed Hero in the face. Hero let out a hiss and ran under the couch. "That fatty knows better, and he has a full bowl of food. Plus, a lot of fast food isn't good for him. He's spoiled enough with pizza."

"You are a mean person." Ivan said with a small laugh, and Alfred rolled his eyes in amusement.

"Yeah, I'm stopping my cat from becoming a beach ball. How awful of me. Clearly I should throw myself out the window for being such a cruel person." Alfred said with an amused huff. "Hey, could you pull that box closer to the middle of the table? If I have to keep spraying Hero, he's going to try and start scratching the couch in protest."

"You are right here, you can do it yourself." Ivan said, taking a sip of his soup.

"But I'm so comfy." Alfred whined.

"I am sure a pillow would be more comfortable than my lap. Why are you laying there anyways?" Ivan asked, and Alfred shrugged his shoulders.

"It was convenient, I wanted to stretch out and you were in the way, and you're warm."

"You are like the cats." Ivan scoffed, but he pulled the box closer to them anyways.

"Thank you dear." Alfred said with a cheeky smile. Ivan flicked him in the forehead in response. As he leaned back into the sofa, Ivan spotted a pair of fortune cookies that he hadn't noticed before behind one of the containers of food.

"I have not had one of these in years." Ivan said as he picked one up. Alfred glanced up at the cookie, and he let out a laugh.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about those. China hates those things you know. He hates being associated with them."

"You think he would be flattered that you put his omens into cookies." Ivan said in amusement as he opened the wrapper. "Do you want the cookie part? I only want the fortune."

"Yeah, sure." Alfred said, putting his hand up. As he munched on the cookie, Ivan opened up the fortune. "So what does it say?"

"People are naturally attracted to you." Ivan said with a snort. "This is not even a fortune."

"Bummer man." Alfred said with a chuckle as he opened his cookie. "Any lucky numbers?"

"24, 12, and 2." Ivan said with a shrug. "What does yours say?"

"Someone short will be bringing you news soon." Alfred said. "Well, I guess that could be anyone. God, these cookies love being vague, don't they?" Alfred said with a shake of his head. "My lucky numbers are 12, 18, and 2. Aw, we were just one number off."

"I guess you could say we were unfortunate." Ivan said with a straight face, taking another bite of his soup.

"Oh my god. No."

"What? It was a good joke." Ivan said with a small smirk as Alfred smacked his arm.

 ***Meanwhile***

Across the street from the entrance of the apartment, two men watched the building from an alleyway. One of the men was smoking a cigarette near the entrance of the alley, occasionally tapping the ash off the end of it. The other man was standing a little bit behind him, reading something on his phone. They were dressed casually so they didn't stand out. They were both watching one of the windows of the apartment building, and although the curtains were drawn, they could still see that the lights were on in the room.

"So," The man with the cigarette asked, glancing over at his partner with a frown, "How long did the boss say to keep an eye on this place again?"

"Until the lady says so." The second man huffed. "I don't get why, but I don't ask questions. Plus, it's an easy assignment. It's not like we have to kill the guy or anything for her, just tell her what the guy does around her brother."

"Who is this lady anyways? Why is she so important that the boss has to take orders from her?"

"I have no idea. She must be some big shot in the government or something." The man said with a shrug, and glancing up from his phone he frowned at his partner. "How did you even find them anyways?"

"He gave the boss a business card. Had his name on it, as well as a phone number. I looked him up in the phone book." The man said with a chuckle, taking a drag from the cigarette.

"Those things still exist?" The second man asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I was surprised too. It was weird though, I had tried to look him up online, and he did have social media accounts and stuff, but nothing older than three or four years old." The man said with a frown. "When I tried to look in deeper on him, I came up with nothing. No degrees, no birth certificate, no family connections. Nada. When I talked to the people he had decorated for, they said he just showed up out of nowhere one day. It's strange. I had to use the phone book as a last resort, and to my surprise there he was in black in white."

"Witness protective program?" The man with the phone suggested, but the first man shook his head.

"Nah, no one would make a stupid mistake like putting his name in the phone book if that was the case. And anyways, why would someone who was trying to hide go out to dinner with that creepy bastard in the first place? They would have known being around that weirdo in that restaurant would have brought attention on himself."

"True." The second man agreed.

"It's a shame you weren't able to get into his apartment." The first man said with a sigh, flicking his cigarette butt onto the sidewalk and crushing it with the sole of his shoe.

"Yeah, and when the guy at the front desk had dozed off and he had left the lock open no less." The man with the phone said bitterly. "If that damned old lady hadn't opened her door I would have been able to get more on the guy. I think she saw me too, I saw her marching down to the front desk as I was leaving."

"Hmm. It's probably too risky to try to get in again. She probably told the kid that someone was trying to break in. He'll be on alert now, as well as the front desk."

"Shame. At least we didn't get the bosses hopes up by telling him that we were going to break in." The second man sighed, and he put his phone away and pulled a pack of cigarettes out his jacket pocket. He offered them to his partner. "Want one?"

"True, and yeah." The first man said, taking the box with a smirk. "What the boss doesn't know won't hurt him."

 ***TheNextDay***

Alfred hummed as he looked at his phone. He was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for Ivan to finish getting ready so they could go pick up his sister. She had asked them to pick her up around eleven, and it was about 10 now, so they had about thirty minutes before they had to go. Alfred was already dressed, wearing a blue sweater and a thick pair of black pants, and was scrolling through memes on his phone. Just as he was thinking about making another cup of coffee, his phone started to play the X-men theme. Grinning, he answered the phone with a smile.

"Mattie! What's up bro?"

" _Nothing much, I wanted to check up on you."_ Canada said cheerfully.

"Oh, I'm doing okay. Although I can't really talk for long, Ivan and I are showing his sister around the city today." Alfred said, glancing up at the clock with a small frown.

" _That's fine."_ Canada said, and Alfred heard him mutter something to himself.

"What was that?" Alfred asked.

" _Nothing."_ Canada said, clearing his throat _. "Hey, Al, I need to ask you something. Did something happen after I left your apartment the other day?"_

"Yeah…" Alfred said, squinting his eyes suspiciously at the phone in his hands. "How did you know?"

" _I have my ways."_ Canada said causally. _"Look, a little birdie told me you and Japan got into another fight, and it didn't go well. Are you okay? Do I need to come over? Do I need to make you my maple cookies to cheer you up?"_

"What? No, no I'm okay. I mean, I wouldn't say no to you bringing me cookies, but you don't have to drop everything to bring them over." Alfred said with a fond shake of his head. "Sure, I'm still kind of bummed out about it, but I've been keeping myself busy."

" _Are you sure?"_ Canada asked hesitantly. _"I know how you get when stuff like this happens."_

"Mattie, I'm fine." He assured Canada. "I promise."

" _Were you alone when you talked to him?"_ Canada asked worriedly. _"Al, I swear if you're lying on your couch, binge eating ice cream and watching Mean Girls again-"_

"I thought I told you to never bring that up again!" Alfred squawked. "Mattie, I'm fine! I promise! Stop mother Henning me! If you don't believe me, you can ask Arthur. He was here yesterday."

" _He visited you?"_ Canada asked in surprise.

"Yeah, he did. He came over to apologize about his behavior actually. He said that after you told him off he did some thinking. I don't know what you said to him dude, but you really shook him up." Alfred explained as he walked over to the coffee maker. "I even made him a cup of tea."

" _Really!?"_

"Yeah, I did." Alfred said with a small chuckle at the shock in his brother's voice. "Hey, if you ever get bored of working for your government, you should go into family counseling. You seem to be doing a lot of that lately. You could make millions."

" _Maybe I should."_ Canada said, and Alfred swore he could hear his brother actually considering it. _"Anyways, I'm still coming over later. Not today, but soon. Oh, I heard from France by the way. I'm not going to tell you where his is, but I just wanted to let you know that he's safe."_

"If I pay you, will you tell me where he is?" Alfred asked as he started to make himself a travel mug.

" _No. You'll kill him if I do."_

"I wouldn't kill him." Alfred said casually, his eyes slowly drifting to the knife block next to him.

" _Yeah, right. Like I'd believe that. I wasn't born yesterday you know."_ Canada huffed. _"Hey, weren't you supposed to have a cooking lesson with him this week?"_

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Alfred hummed, still eyeing the knife block. "I doubt he's going to come over this week though. Shame, I was actually looking forwards to that coconut cake."

" _Well, I guess there's always next month."_ Canada said. _"Look, are you sure you're okay? I can come over now if you want."_

"Mattie, I'm _fine._ " Alfred said in exasperation. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, Ivan was with me when I called Japan. I wasn't alone, and he was able to cheer me up a little. He even gave me a hug. It was nice. He was nice. I felt better. Happy?"

There was a pause, and then Canada let out a small hum. _"Interesting…"_ Alfred heard him mutter thoughtfully.

"What's interesting?" Alfred asked in confusion.

"Nothing. Well, I'll let you go then. Text me when you get a chance." Canada said happily. "Bye!" And with that, Canada suddenly hung up. Alfred looked down at his phone in bewilderment, then rolling his eyes he turned back to his coffee. His brother could be so weird sometimes.

About five minutes later, Ivan came out of his room. After Alfred had made sure he had actually locked the door this time, they made their way towards the lobby, where to their surprised they saw Greg cowering under the fury of his wife. He was sitting behind the front desk, and she was standing in front of him, hands on the desk and leaning over him with a scowl on her face.

"How many times have I told you not to doze off at the desk?!" She shouted, and Greg sunk even lower into his chair. "How many times?! Do you even know what could have happened if you hadn't been lucky?! I don't know what would happened if that woman didn't come down and demand to speak to me!"

"Darling, it's been a busy couple of days. I haven't gotten much sleep." Greg protested, but she only started yelling even louder.

"YOU HAD ONE FUCKING JOB! YOU THINK IT HASN'T BEEN BUSY FOR ME AS WELL?! NO, I'VE ONLY BEEN DOWN TOWN FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS, WORKING MY BEHIND OFF-"

"Oh dear." Alfred said with a quiet chuckle as they walked by. "I think its best if we leave them be."

"Do they fight like this very often?" Ivan asked curiously as they walked out of the lobby, and to his amusement he could still hear Mrs. Carol screaming at her husband from the street. From what he could see through the glass doors, the poor man looked like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world right now.

"No, it's really rare that she blows up on him like that." Alfred said with a slight frown, fishing his keys out of his pockets. "The only other time she's yelled at him like that was when he almost fell off the roof when he was fixing a leak. I swear she was more freaked out about it than he was. Anyways, let me pull the car around and we can go get your sister." Alfred said with a grin.

 ***Somewhereinthecity***

"So, it's been a few days." Prussia said, and the other nations around nodded eagerly. A group of nations that were still hanging around and touring the city had decided to get together in one of the hotel lobbies and compare notes. "Does anyone have any new information for the betting pool?"

"I do!" Finland piped up from one of the arm chairs. "I was able to talk to them recently, and it turns out Japan and America were never dating."

"What?!" S. Korea yelled in disappointment from the corner of the room. "Damn it, I thought for sure something was happening between them."

"Pay up! I told you America wasn't the dating type!" Mexico shouted. A couple of nations grumbled as money was passed around the room, and Switzerland updated his little black book.

"Anything else?" Spain asked Finland, who shook his head. "Not really. Before we met up though, I saw them talking to each other in a coffee shop."

"Should you be spilling the beans on them like this?" Denmark asked curiously from a nearby couch. "It's not like you."

"What can I say, I'm invested." Finland said with a small chuckle. Sweden hummed in agreement from next to him.

"Anyone else?" Prussia asked, and Germany smacked the back of his brother's head.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He shouted. "This is an invasion of personal privacy! It isn't our business whether or not America is dating!"

"Oh come on west!" Prussia said with a pout. "Don't be such a kill joy. It's not like we don't have a betting pool on other people as well. Hell, we had a betting pool on you and Italy for years!"

"WHAT?!" Italy yelled in shock from across the room.

"YOU HAD TO RIGHT TO DO THAT!" Germany shouted, but Prussia just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyways, does anyone want to put on anymore bets?" Prussia asked the room, ignoring his now fuming brother.

"Oh, has anyone bet on when Belarus is going to try and kill America?" Australia asked. "If not, I say she'll make her move in less than a week from now."

"I say she's already started." Belgium said, holding up her hand. "She's not one to sit by and just watch."

"I have a bet to place." A quiet voice said from the one of the hallways, and looking over they were surprised to see America walking towards them, kindly smiling at them.

"America?" Norway asked in horror, and Canada sighed.

"That's his brother, Canada." Prussia pointed out. "America would never make such a quiet entrance. Plus, the maple leaf hoodie kind of gives it away."

"Thank you." Canada huffed. "Anyways, I want to put down a bet."

"Well, well, well." Hungary said from a sofa to the right of Canada, a small gleam in her eye. "This is a surprise. You don't usually join us. I thought you didn't like taking bets like this."

"Let's just say I'm in a betting mood." Canada said with a small smile.

"Alright, what's your bet?" Switzerland asked.

Canada smirked, and leaning over he whispered into Switzerland's ear. As he spoke, Switzerland's eyebrows lifted up in disbelief. "Are you sure about that?" Switzerland asked, not looking convinced. "That's an odd bet to make."

"Oh, I'm sure." Canada said with a grin. "Oh, and I want to put down a thousand on it."

"A thousand?!" S. Korea asked in shock. "What exactly are you betting on here?"

"It's a secret." Canada said with a small smirk as he handed Switzerland the money.

"Come on! That's not fair!" Australia protested, and there was a cry of protest from the other nations.

"Sorry, but my lips are sealed." Canada said with a wink, and with that he turned around and headed back towards his room. The other's looked towards Switzerland, but he just shook his head.

"I'm not going to say." He said with a huff, snapping his book shut. "Privacy reasons, I'm sure you understand."

"Not even a hint?!" Denmark asked, and Switzerland gave him an unimpressed look.

"No."

 ***Ivan'sP.O.V***

Much to Ivan's surprise and delight, he found the bus tour of the city had not been as boring as he thought it would be. When his sister had suggested it, he had hadn't had the heart to tell her that he found them boring because she had been so excited about it. He honestly didn't care much about the history of the buildings around him, or what the cheery tour woman was saying, but he was amused with his sister's and Alfred's behavior. To put it simply, they were having a blast.

Alfred was in his element, whispering excitably to Katya about some of the buildings that the tour lady had ignored, telling stories about some of the former residents and their stories. Once and awhile they would pass a building Alfred used to live in, and Alfred would get even more excited. He would start talking about the jobs he used to have, and some of the history of the time. Ivan was rather amused by one story about the 70's when Alfred had worked as a bar tender, and how he had had to throw out a very drunk customer that had started to hit on his reflection, and then had broken down crying when his reflection wouldn't flirt back.

Katya, bless her, was having the time of her life. Ivan didn't know why, but she loved these sort of tours. Because Alfred had an encyclopedic memory of everything in the area, she was able to ask him more detailed questions than she could with the tour guide. She was practically glowing by the time the tour had ended. Then when Alfred had offered to walk them down some other parts of the area on foot, she had all but dragged Alfred around, pointing at random things and asking him their history. Ivan tried to pretend to be interested, but after three hours he had started to tune out their chatter in favor of starting at anything that caught his attention instead. At one point, he had found a very interesting pigeon to have a staring contest with. He lost.

Eventually, Alfred noticed Ivan practically falling asleep on a bench. "Hey, big guy. You doing okay?" He asked, and Ivan nodded. Alfred must have realized that Ivan was a couple of seconds from falling asleep, so he made a show of looking down at his watch. "Wow, look at the time! We should probably grab something quick to eat." He said. "Hey, there's this really good sandwich shop near here. I could go and grab us a couple of sandwiches and we can eat them as we walk around." Alfred offered. "I can also us up some hot drinks."

"Large coffee please." Ivan asked with a yawn.

"I'll take a hot chocolate again!" Ukraine said happily.

"Cool. I'll be back in a sec." Alfred said cheerfully, and he jogged down the road. Ukraine let out a happy sigh, and after brushing off some snow off the bench, she sat down next to Ivan.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Ivan asked, and she beamed at him.

"Oh yes! I had no idea that there were so many interesting neighborhoods here! They have so much history too, even though they're relatively new!" She gushed.

"That is good." Ivan hummed. They sat in comfortable silence for a minute, watching the people pass them.

"I missed this you know." Ukraine said suddenly. "I missed us just sitting down and talking. No politices, or bosses getting in the way. I missed you. You've been away for a long time."

"I did not leave." Ivan said with a confused look. "We have seen each other many times after you left my house."

"Maybe not physically, but you did leave us for a time." Ukraine said, and she rested her head on his shoulder with a smile. "I missed my Vanya. I'm glad you're back now."

Ivan felt a sudden lump in his throat at that. He eyes started to sting a little, but he blamed that on the cold wind. He rested his head on his sister's, and they sat like that until Alfred came back, laughing loudly about something or other. Maybe these tours weren't so bad after all, he thought with a small smile.

 **A/N: Big moments are nice, but I find that the smallest moments have the most meaning. Nothing much going on in this chapter, but I think we've earned a bit a breather, don't you? I mean, so much has happened already. Not every day has to be grand or long you know. Although if you look closely, you'll find a treasure trove of information, (hints), hidden away. ;)**

 **That awkward moment when you've written over 100k words, and you're only just getting to the romance because you had to make them friends first. Oops.**


	18. Smiles and a Promise (Day 10 & 11)

**A/N: Alright people, I think I've been enough of a tease. I think it's time for some romantic development, don't you? *Cracks knuckles* Here's to not knowing what the hell I'm doing! *Jumps off cliff***

 ***Ivan'sP.O.V***

Eventually they ended up in a shopping district. Ivan was walking a bit behind Alfred and his sister, and he watched them point at something in a shop window. They had been out for hours by this point, and it had gotten dark enough that the lights along the streets had turned on, bathing the city in an artificial orange. The stores around them lit up in multiple different colors, flashing and blinking to grab their attention as they passed. As they walked past some of the different stores and bars, Ivan could hear music, chatter, and the smell of fresh food wafting into the street through the open doors. The air had a slight sharpness as the temperature had plummeted, and Ivan had to tighten his scarf around his neck as a sudden the wind blew his hair back.

Ivan had a smile on his face as he watched Alfred laugh at something his sister said to him. Ivan couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun. Usually around this time of year, he would be stuck in last minute meetings and conferences, or would be spending most of his time alone in his home. But this year, he was walking around the streets of New York, spending time with people. Granted, it was a little strange, seeing as he was spending time with someone he hadn't even liked just over a week ago, and with his sister who usually avoided him due to political reasons. But even so, it was so different and so much livelier than what he was used to, and his heart was almost bursting with happiness. For the first time in decades, he felt a small part of his heart that had frozen start to thaw out.

Lost in his own thoughts, he almost missed Alfred waving at him. "Hey, Ivan! Me and your sis want to check out this book store real quick. You want to join us?" Alfred asked, giving Ivan a warm smile. It was amazing, Ivan thought as he stared at the shorter nation. Even in the darkness, Alfred's smile seemed to blind him. It really was captivating.

"Do you bleach your teeth?" Ivan suddenly asked, and Alfred gave him a bewildered look. Ukraine sighed, shaking her head and giving Ivan a look that said, 'really?' Rolling her eyes, she patted Alfred on the shoulder and walked into the book store.

"I am going ahead." She said, and with that she disappeared into the store. Alfred nodded, then turned back to look at Ivan with a raised eyebrow.

"Why do you ask?" Alfred asked carefully, as though he were expecting a nasty remark.

"Your smile." Ivan said, gesturing to Alfred's face. "It is always so bright. I have been wondering."

Alfred stared at him for a moment as though he couldn't quite believe what he was asking. Then with a snort he covered his mouth as he started laughing. "Out of all the things you want to know about me, that's what you want to know?" He asked, relaxing a little as he shook his head in amusement. "Really?"

"Yes?" Ivan said, rubbing his back of his head. He suddenly felt embarrassed as he realized what he said might be a little weird. "Ah, I did not mean to be rude." He added as Alfred continued to laugh.

"No, it's fine! I've just never been asked that before." Alfred explained as he lowered his hand and beamed up at Ivan. "No, I've never bleached my teeth. For some reason, I've always had really good teeth that are, as England puts it, "brighter than the fucking sun." I have no freaking idea why, but there you are. I think it has to do with how my citizens take dental care so seriously. I'm honestly surprised that more people don't bleach their teeth though."

"It is not seen as important in other places." Ivan said with a shrug.

"I see. Well, thanks for asking I guess." Alfred said with a chuckle, turning to walk into the store. Just before he entered the store he paused, and then turned to face Ivan again with a grin. "You know, you have a really nice smile too. And not that weird creepy one you wear when you're scaring the shit out of people, the one you were showing just a minute ago. I like it!"

Ivan felt his cheeks heat up a little as he stared at Alfred in disbelief. "You do?" Ivan asked, suddenly feeling a little self conscious, but Alfred just nodded.

"Yeah. Anyways, get in here! I still need to shop for presents, and _someone_ still needs to tell me what they want!" Alfred said, giving Ivan a pointed look, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the store with him. "Now come on slowpoke, your sister is waiting for us!"

Too stunned by what Alfred had said, Ivan allowed himself to be pulled into the book store. They walked around the store for a few minutes, Alfred humming along to a Christmas song playing through the speakers. Ivan found himself hiding his face in his scarf, unable to stop himself from smiling. He wasn't used to complements. When they reached the cooking section, Alfred paused.

"I wonder what kind of cook book Arthur would like." Alfred hummed, looking over the selection of books with a slight frown. He turned to Ivan. "What do you think?"

"I suggested the tea time books." Ivan said, pointing at the upper shelf of books. "He has a lower chance of burning down his house that way."

"Hmm, good point." Alfred said, reaching up to grab a book. That was, he tried to reach for a book, but his hand couldn't quite reach the top shelf where the tea time books were. Even when he stood on tip toes, he was just a tad too short to touch the books. Ivan watched in amusement as Alfred tried in vain to reach them for a few minutes, until finally with a sigh, Alfred turned to Ivan.

"Ivan?"

"Yes?"

"I'm not short, am I?"

"To me, everyone is small." Ivan pointed out. "But no, I would not call you short."

"I thought not. Then why, pray tell, are these fucking shelves so tall?" He asked, pouting up at Ivan. Smirking, Ivan reached up and easily grabbed the book Alfred had been struggling to grab. He then held it above his own head, slightly out of Alfred's reach.

"Who knows?" Ivan teased, dangling the book above Alfred's head, which just caused Alfred to pout harder. "Maybe they do not want short people to read?"

"Come on man, that's not cool." Alfred said with a huff, holding out his hand for the book.

"Hmm, maybe I will give it to you if you give me a hug." Ivan said with a smile.

"Ah, I see we've moved from holding people hostage for hugs to holding objects hostage." Alfred said in amusement. "Well done, you're improving."

"I try." Ivan quipped back. "Now, what will it be? Hug and a book, or nothing?"

"You play dirty, you know that?" Alfred asked, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm going to find a way to make you pay for this, you realize that right?"

"Oh, I am sure you will." Ivan said, waving the book back and forwards above Alfred's head.

Sighing, Alfred opened his arms, and Ivan gave him a big hug, a giant smile growing on his face.

"So, I take it I'm going to be your go to guy for hugs now?" Alfred asked in amusement, snagging the book from Ivan's hands a minute later when Ivan finally let him go. "You know you can just ask for a hug, right? You don't need to bribe me."

"I was not aware I was allowed." Ivan said, still smiling from the hug.

"Sure. What can I say? Your hugs are growing on me. I think I have hug Stockholm syndrome. Is that even possible?" Alfred wondered out loud as he flipped through the book in his hands. "Whatever. Just stop dangling things over my head."

"I will make no promises." Ivan said in amusement, ruffling Alfred's hair. "You are so fun to tease."

"I'm going to tattle to Ukraine that you're bullying me." Alfred warned.

"I am so scared." Ivan said with a laugh.

"Sure you are." Alfred said with shake of his head as he paused on a page that caught his attention. "Ah-ha, here we are. Lemon recipes. Arthur's told me yesterday that he's been having trouble finding a cook book that has a lot of lemon recipes. Especially lemon cookies. Do you think this one looks simple enough?" He asked, holding the page up to Ivan, who scanned the page.

"I think so." Ivan said, and Alfred grinned. "Great! I guess that knocks the Italian brothers, England, and Finland off the list. Who else did I need to shop for besides you again?"

"Germany." Ivan said, and Alfred let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank god, I can just order him some beer or something. He's pretty easy to please." Alfred said, snapping the book shut.

"You do not have to get me anything." Ivan said with a small frown.

"No! I'm getting you something!" Alfred said, pointing an irritated finger the taller nation. "We just made up! We're friends now! No excuses! Tell me what you like!"

"I do not know." Ivan insisted. "I do not usually expect many gifts around this time of year. And besides, the gifts are usually from my sisters, and they usually have a special meaning behind them. I do not like getting just any kind of gift at Christmas. The gift would need to have some kind of importance behind it."

Alfred's face fell. "Oh, I see. That could be…complicated due to our history…" Alfred said, suddenly looking worried.

Ivan couldn't help but feel bad for killing the mood. "Ah, and I have not even asked you what you want for Christmas." Ivan pointed out quickly. "If you insist on getting me a gift, I would have to know what you want."

"Me?" Alfred asked in surprise. "Oh, um, I have no idea."

Ivan gave Alfred a blank look. "What do you mean you have no idea?"

"I mean, I usually don't think about receiving presents. I'm usually the one giving them away." Alfred said with a shrug. "Hell, usually every Christmas people just bring me a shit ton of food. I have no idea why, maybe because they know I like food?" Alfred wondered out loud. "It's actually really awesome, but every year someone gets me a fruit cake. I think it's a yearly joke from the others at this point. Just one cake, buts it's always on the top of the pile every year. I think each nation takes a turn bringing it. Anyways, as long as it's not food I'm happy. I already end up donating most of it to charity anyways because there's no way I can eat it all at once."

"I see…" Ivan said, raising an eyebrow at Alfred's words.

"Hey, I know!" Alfred said excitedly, suddenly perking up. "Why don't you come to the Christmas party? That can be your gift to me! I mean, you've never been to one right?"

"My gift to you…would to be to join you at your own Christmas party?" Ivan asked in disbelief. "This seems a little one sided."

"Please?" Alfred begged. "Come on, you'd be like a breath of fresh air there, trust me! God, you have no idea how boring it can be seeing the same things every year! Everyone brings fancy gifts, and drinks, and drives there in their stupid fancy cars, and tries to outdo each other! I have no idea how, but somehow my own fucking party turned into this fancy stuffy event! It can be so passive aggressive as well. Please come? You can scare the shit out of everyone! It would be hilarious! Hell, I'll even order Vodka for you so you won't get bored! Please?!"

Ivan thought for a moment, and Alfred tugged on Ivan's coat. "So much Vodka." He promised. "As much as you want! My government doesn't stop me buying Alcohol for my Christmas party due to having guests. I can literally make you a Vodka fountain if you want! Please just come!"

"Well, I suppose if there will be Vodka…" Ivan said with a sigh, caving in.

"Woo!" Alfred cheered, throwing his hands up. "I want you to go after France first!"

"I would have done that regardless of you asking or not." Ivan said in amusement. "So when is this party?"

"On Christmas Eve." Alfred said happily. "Most people leave for their country straight after the party to have Christmas at their place, or depending on where I hold the party, they have their celebrations where the party is held. I had the party in Hawaii a couple of years back. Everyone really liked that one!"

"Ah, you and your warm places. I prefer a white Christmas. It's more traditional." Ivan said with a snort. "And where are you holding it this year?"

"Oh, I'm holding it in the UN building." Alfred said with a grin. "Security is top notch there, and there's plenty of room to hold everyone. That, and it was literally the only place I could get last minute. The president had to pull some strings, but I was able to get it booked in. At least he footed the bill this time as an apology. I actually was going to hold it in Hollywood, but you know, this rooming thing happened." Alfred said with a shrug.

"I see." Ivan said. Just then, Ukraine walked around the corner with a big smile on her face holding a stack of fiction books. "Oh, are you talking about the Christmas party America?"

"Yeah, Ivan agreed to come with me this year!" Alfred said with a grin.

"Really!?" She asked excitably, turning to beam at Ivan. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun with you here this year! Imagine you, me, and Natalia together! Of course, by that time I'm sure she'll have calmed down. She may glare at you more than usual though America." Ukraine said, shooting Alfred an apologetic look. Alfred just shrugged back.

"Eh, I'm used to it." Alfred said with a grimace. "Just, ah… don't let her bring a knife please. I kind of like my body not full of holes."

"We can make no promises. She can be very crafty." Ivan said gravely, and then he smiled and clapped his hands together. "Now, are we ready to leave?"

 ***Later,Alfred'sP.O.V***

Alfred yawned as he pulled into the Hotel parking lot, and the other two weren't too far behind him. Ivan and Ukraine had been sitting in the back seat together so they could talk more before Ukraine flew home the next morning. Ukraine was dozing on top of all her shopping, and Ivan seemed to be spacing out, which Alfred had figured out meant he was about to pass out. When he parked the car, Ivan blinked and looked around.

"Oh, are we at the hotel?" He asked with a large yawn.

"Yup." Alfred said.

"Oh, I am sorry. Did I doze off?" Ukraine asked sleepily, stirring awake from the jerk of the car stopping.

"Afraid so." Alfred said apologetically. "Seems we've reached the end of the line folks. Do you need some help bringing in your shopping?" Alfred offered.

"I will help her." Ivan said, but Ukraine, who had become much more alert, shook her head.

"No offence Vanya, but I think I will let America help me. I want to talk to him before I leave. Plus, you look like you are about to fall asleep." She said with a laugh, leaning over and giving her brother a hug, which he happily returned.

"Oh dear, that doesn't sound good for me!" Alfred joked. "Ivan, if I'm not back in ten, you're in charge of telling my brother I was murdered."

"I will carry out my duty diligently and with honor, comrade." Ivan said sarcastically, saluting Alfred.

"Good to know." Alfred chuckled as he got out of the car.

"I will see you at the party Vanya! Until then, увидимся!" Ukraine said with a final wave, and with that, they walked to the hotel, Alfred carrying her things up to her room. As they reached her room and Alfred put down the bags, she took a deep breath, and turned to Alfred with a serious look.

"America." She said. "I want to say that I am happy that you and my brother are getting along better. And I want to thank you."

"Thank me?" Alfred asked in confusion. "But I didn't do anything."

"You may not be able to tell, but you have helped my brother. He seems happier than when I last saw him. It helps that you said that you were friends. I do not think you know how much it means to him that you said that to him. Just… do not hurt him again." She warned, bringing herself up to her full height. "And I am not talking about Russia."

"Again?" Alfred asked with a frown.

"Once. You met him outside of Russia once before. I am sure you remember. It was the first time you called each other by your human names. He told me about it." Ukraine said apologetically.

"Oh, yeah…" Alfred said with a grimace, and with a sigh he closed his eyes and let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, I remember. It's kind of hard not to when you're about to blow each other off the surface of the planet, along with every other person on the earth. Don't worry, I don't think things are going to get that far again. Especially as Alfred and Ivan."

"Just… do not hurt his heart. That is all I ask." She said hesitantly. "I do not want to see his heart broken again for no reason, whether it is due to love or friendship."

"I don't know if I can promise anything as America." Alfred admitted guiltily, shooting her an apologetic look. "I mean, we still are countries you know. There may come a day when we will have to fight each other again. Friendships are kind of hard to keep when you have to bash each other's faces in."

"Well, until then at least. Promise me that until that day comes, you will at least try not to hurt him." Ukraine asked, and Alfred gave her a small smile.

"As Alfred, I think I can promise that." He said, holding his hand out to her, which she took with a small smile.

"Thank you." She said, looking a lot less worried than before. "Well, until the party Alfred." She said, and with a final shake of his hand, she went into her room and shut the door, leaving Alfred alone in the hallway with his thoughts.

When he got back to the car, Ivan was now in the front seat, dozing away. When Alfred opened the driver side door, he woke up.

"How did it go?" Ivan asked, and Alfred shrugged his shoulders as he got into the car. "Nothing much to say really. She thanked me, had some words with me, and I was on my way."

"So it was a mild shovel talk?" Ivan asked in amusement. "How lucky you are. I seem to have had all of the worst talks."

"Yeah? Just wait till Belarus gets her hands on me. Then we can compare stories." Alfred laughed.

"Hmm, I guess you have a point." Ivan admitted as Alfred started the car. "Now, I think it is time that we head home. I do not know about you, but it is almost midnight, and I think I am ready for bed."

"I think I can agree to that."

 ***SomewhereinBelarus***

Belarus sat next to the window, a smile slowly growing on her face as she listened to the voice on the other side of the phone. So they had finally found where that damned America lived.

"Thank you for the update." She said. "Yes, I will be sending you your payment soon. Thank you. Yes. Goodbye." And with that she hung up the call.

So, she thought with a smirk, throwing the phone down onto the cushion she was sitting on, that was another step in the right direction. Now all she had to do was wait for her sister to come home. Of course, now that she thought about it, she could just wait until the Christmas party to make her move. But it may be too late if she waited that long, and there would be too many witnesses. No… she had to wait for her sister to come home. Her sister had obviously gone to meet with her older brother. She always was one to worry; she wouldn't have gone anywhere else but to go check on him. Of course, that also meant that she had news on her older brother, and that American…

No, she thought with a smile, she could wait.

 ***TheNextDay***

"Uhhh…" Alfred groaned from the kitchen table. His head was in his arms, and he was trying to block out the weak rays of light from the sunrise shining through the curtains, and was nursing a cup of coffee. It was around 6:30am, and he had just woken up a few minutes ago, dragging himself out of his nice warm bed and into the chilly kitchen, where to his amazement he had found Ivan reading the news and eating his breakfast already. "Why did I agree to go in so early? Why did we stay up so late? This is torture. Why the hell were you awake so early?" Alfred asked grumpily, lifting his head and squinting at Ivan, who just shrugged.

"I do not need much sleep." He explained.

"Teach me…" Alfred said weakly, dropping his head back into his arms.

"I cannot. I have always been like this." Ivan said, and Alfred let out another whine. "You really are not a morning person, are you?" Ivan asked with a small smile, taking another bite of his cornflakes.

"The sun is evil."

"I see." Ivan said, gently patting Alfred on the head. "Well, I suppose it is the Hero's duty to suffer for the greater good." Hearing his name, Hero's ears perked up from where he was napping on the counter and he looked at Ivan.

"Not you Hero." Alfred grumbled, reaching out and petting Hero, who purred at the attention.

"What time were we supposed to meet with Mrs. Carol?" Ivan asked, looking back down at the newspaper.

"Around 7:30." Alfred said, trying and failing to hold in a large yawn. Rubbing his eyes, he got up and started to make himself a bowl of cereal. "I can't believe that woman does this every day. It's insane!"

"It is really not that hard." Ivan said in amusement. "I am sure if you did not rely on caffeine, you would not feel so bad in the morning. You could cut back."

"You may take my drink from my cold, dead, coffee loving hands." Alfred scoffed, quickly pulling his coffee out of the older nations reach with a warning look. "I wouldn't recommend it though. I've gone to war over less."

"I am sure you have." Ivan said with a small smile, eyeing the coffee cup with a thoughtful look.

"I don't know what you're planning, but don't." Alfred warned, narrowing his eyes.

"I was not planning anything." Ivan said innocently, putting his paper up again.

"Why don't I believe you?" Alfred scoffed, sitting back down with his bowl. "By the way, Mattie said he's going to drop by sometime. I don't know if he means today or tomorrow, but just giving you a heads up."

"Why is he still here?" Ivan asked. "The meeting ended days ago."

"If my brother wants to spend time with me, who the hell am I to question it?" Alfred said with a shrug. "Plus, it's not unusual for nations to hang around and tour after a meeting. You know that."

"Yes, but usually they only stay around for a few days afterwards." Ivan said with a small frown. "It seems odd that there are a large number of them hanging around this time."

"You know, I bet this has something to do with the rumor of us dating. They're probably just trying to be nosy." Alfred said with a shrug.

"This does not bother you?" Ivan asked, interested with Alfred's response.

"Bother me? No, of course not!" Alfred said with a cold smirk. "Why, the longer they stay here, the more money they bring in! They can stay for as long as they like as far as I'm concerned."

"You are fun when you talk like that." Ivan said with a chuckle. "It is always a shock to here you say things like that. Does anyone else get to see the ruthless businessman you are, or do you just let me see that?"

"Who knows?" Alfred said with a glint in his eyes, taking a bite of his toast with a smile. "Let's hurry up okay? We don't want to keep Mrs. Carol waiting."

 **A/N: So it begins! 0w0 So, let's check the notes so far. We are currently still working on starting Japan and France's redemptions arcs, England has begun his, Canada has finally caught on to what's happening, the others are placing even more bets, China is on the hunt, Ivan and Alfred are finally comfortable around each other, Ukraine has given us all type 2 diabetes from how sweet she is, and Belarus is slowly but surely getting to her goal, whatever that is. Good, then we're right on schedule.**

 ***Looks up from paper with a frown.* (** _Wait, how many times_ _have I updated this month? Three times? Four times? I'm way ahead of schedule? I could be done by Christmas at this rate? Nah, that can't be right._ _It took me a year and a half to get to this point. What do you mean the only reason it took that long was because I dropped off the map for a bunch of months?!_ **)**

 **Welp, looks like staying home and having literally nothing to do all day has done wonders for my upload schedule. Who knew? Don't get your hopes up though, this is really weird for me.**


	19. Secrets Hidden in Plain Sight (Day 11)

**A/N: *Peaks head around the corner.* I can explain why I left, don't shoot! I got back to work! And it's just been a nightmare, between customers, masks, cleaning my hands every five seconds, and the fact that I lost my unlimited sleep schedule. (R.I.P. Sleep. You will be missed.) So of course, instead of sleeping like a rational person, I'm going to write at 2am. :) I'm smart. But to make up for that, here's some cute fluff and stuff.**

As it turned out, the soup kitchen was only a few blocks away from the apartment building. Russia studied the smallish building as they approached it with a small frown. It was a rather small, old brick building that was squished between two other stores. It looked like it had been there for several decades, with bricks that were mismatched in color. It looked like it had been a restaurant at some point, but Ivan couldn't be sure. It didn't stick out in anyway, almost blending into the other businesses around it. Unlike the other buildings around it, it didn't have many decorations to catch his attention, except a small yellow sign on the front door saying that it was closed and to come back later. If Alfred hadn't cheerfully pointed it out, Ivan wouldn't have given it a second thought. In fact, no one on the street seemed to notice it either, as no one was giving it a second look as they walked by it.

"So, what do you think?" Alfred asked happily, hopping up the stairs to the door and knocking on the glass loudly. "Impressed?"

"I…uh…" Ivan said uncomfortably, not sure what to say. "It is nice?"

"Dude, chill. I was just messing with you." Alfred chuckled. "I know it's not much to look at. That's kind of the point. It's meant not to draw attention."

"Why not?" Ivan asked with a frown. "Wouldn't it be helpful to spread the news that there is a soup kitchen here?"

"It's meant to be discreet for the people who come here." Alfred said with a shrug. "Some people are embarrassed to be seen eating in soup kitchens. They're ashamed that they have to resort to charity. Mrs. Carol wanted to help them feel less embarrassed about it by not drawing attention to this place. She wants to make it more approachable I guess. And she doesn't need to draw attention to this place, trust me." Alfred said with a sad smile. "Those who are hungry learn where to eat quickly. Word of mouth and all that jazz."

Before Ivan could reply, the door opened and Mrs. Carol stuck her head out. Seeing who was standing on the steps, her face lit up and she opened the door up further as she beamed at the two of them. "Oh, you both made it!" She said happily, waving them in cheerfully. Alfred walked in first, giving the older woman a quick hug. Ivan followed, glancing around the room.

It wasn't a very large room, but it was large enough to hold around four large tables with benches, and he could see a small kitchen and serving area on the other side of the room. He could see a number of large pots and cooking sheets neatly stacked in one of the corners of the kitchen, as well as an industrial sized oven, refrigerator, and a couple other appliances. He could see some other volunteers already prepping the cooking area behind the counters, but they didn't pay them any attention as they were too wrapped up in their work.

"Of course I made it! Do you really think I'd ever stand up a cute lady?" Alfred asked with a wink as he let go of the older woman, and Mrs. Carol let out a playful gasp.

"Mr. Jones! I am a married woman! Don't let Greg hear you, or he might get jealous." She teased, pinching one of his cheeks with a smirk. "Anyways, you're much too young for me. I like my old man well enough, thank you."

"Bummer." Alfred said with a sigh. "Oh well, I guess it's the single life for me. Unless you want to ask me out?" He asked Ivan with a grin.

"No." Ivan deadpanned.

"You didn't have to say no that quickly! Jeez, I knew you were going to say no, but you could have at least pretended to think about it!" Alfred shouted as Mrs. Carol started laughing. Alfred turned back to Carol with a pout, jabbing a finger in Ivan's direction. "You see what I have to put up with on a daily basis? The disrespect I have to put up with?"

"I see." She said with an amused shake of her head as she walked over to Ivan and beamed up at the taller nation. "It's good to see you again Ivan. I'm so happy you decided to join us, especially since my husband couldn't make it today. We need all the muscle we can get today!"

"What?" Alfred asked with a concerned frown. "That's weird. I thought he always helped you set up in the morning? Is he sick?"

"No, he's in the dog house." Carol said, pursing her lips angrily. "It's not really important, but one of the residents in the building almost got robbed the other day. He fell asleep at the desk, the fool, and someone was able to sneak past the front desk and into the building due to his stupidity. If it hadn't been for one of the neighbors noticing the thief and scaring them away, they might have gotten away with it. So I made him stay at the apartment and pull a double shift."

"What?! Who almost got robbed?" Alfred said in surprise, and Ivan frowned as Mrs. Carol looked away from Alfred guiltily for a moment, before she masked her expression with a look of annoyance again. That was odd.

"It doesn't matter." She said dismissively. "Greg's taking care of it, so don't worry your head over it." Then she smiled at Alfred again. "Anyways, you've got better things to take care of! We just had a generous donation the other day from a nearby food bank! We got leaks and potatoes! Enough to last us three days at least!" She said excitedly, gesturing for them to follow her and hurrying to the kitchen area and pulling out some hair nets and gloves and throwing them over to the two nations. "First, wash your hands in the sink and put those on. We're making leak and potato soup today. I thought that a hot soup would be perfect for a cold day like this, but it does take a little while to make."

Alfred raised an eyebrow at the dismissal of his question, but then shrugged it off and followed Mrs. Carol into the kitchen. "Where are we working today?" He asked, making his way over to a nearby sink with Ivan.

"You two are going to be working with the potatoes!" She said cheerfully, directing their attention to a giant pile of spuds in the corner. "I need them washed, pealed, and cut up in record time. We don't have much time before we open, only two hours, so move your hiney's! Chop chop!" She said with a clap of her hands.

"Yes Ma'am!" Alfred said, giving her a mock salute. Because of the how the hair net and gloves made Alfred look, Ivan couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter at the sight. Alfred grinned as Mrs. Carol let out her own chuckle, and with a shake of her head she moved to a different part of the kitchen to help some of the other volunteers.

"You look ridiculous." Ivan said in amusement as Alfred let the salute drop and turned back to the station they were working at.

"Nonsense. I am the living embodiment of sexiness. I can rock any look." Alfred said with smirk, putting his hands on his hips confidently.

"I thought I was the handsome one." Ivan said, throwing a towel at Alfred and turned to start washing the potatoes. "I wash, you dry."

"Sure thing. And clearly, you must be blind if you think I'm not the cuter one in this relationship." Alfred said as he caught the towel. "I mean, just look at this face." He added, gesturing to his face while winking at Ivan.

"Then I am the handsome one." Ivan said with a playful smile. "I am handsome, and you are cute. It is settled, Da?" He said cheerfully.

"Aw, you think I'm cute?" Alfred teased.

"It is because your cheeks are round and squishy. You look like a baby." Ivan teased back, and Alfred whapped him playfully in the face with the towel.

"Stop saying my cheeks are fat!"

"But they are! They are soft and fun to poke!" Ivan said with a giggle. "Like uncooked dough!"

"They aren't!"

"They are. It is a compliment! It suits you!" Ivan said cheerfully. "It makes you more fun to hug! You are soft, like a stuffed bear!"

"I have no idea how to take that comment." Alfred said, shaking his head at Ivan with an almost fond smile while he started to dry the spuds Ivan handed him. "You know if you said that to a girl she might have slapped you for that."

"Then it is a good thing you are not a girl." Ivan said happily.

"I guess so." Alfred said in amusement. They continued to work in content silence for a few minutes, occasionally asking the other one for something. It wasn't until they were half way through the pile when Alfred spoke up again. "I wonder who was almost robbed." He wondered. "It's kind of alarming that someone got into the building though. Like, I left my door open the other day and everything! It would have been a disaster if they got in! They wouldn't have cared if Hero and Milashka got out. They might have been lost in the city." He said worriedly.

"You are worried more about the cats getting out than actually being robbed?" Ivan asked in disbelief.

"Wouldn't you?" Alfred asked in surprise. "I mean, don't get me wrong, if someone touched my consoles and my vintage comic books I would have been hella pissed, but Hero and Milashka are kind of irreplaceable. I mean, so are some of my comic books, but I don't have emotional attachments to them quite as much as the little fatty."

"I suppose so. Although Milashka is smart enough to not wander far." Ivan said with a shrug. "I would have not worried. Speaking of which, I take it criminals entering your apartment building is not a common occurrence?" Ivan asked, and Alfred shook his head with a frown.

"Of course not! Greg is usually as sharp as a hawk when it comes to spotting intruders in the building. I can't understand why he's been slacking off this last week. I mean, he's usually is working a side project or two, but it seems like something's really got him busy lately. I mean, it's not common for Mrs. Carol to take over the front desk you know. Usually she only works in the office. I wonder what he's up too?" Alfred hummed in thought.

"It does seem strange." Ivan said slowly, a small frown growing on his face as he thought about something. Ivan wasn't sure, but something was bugging him. The watchful looks from Greg, the fact that the man was away from the building at night and not getting much sleep when his only job was to sit at a desk and watch people, the talks from the rude neighbor insisting that strangers had been loitering outside the building like they were scoping out the place, and now someone had broken into the building and had almost gotten into an apartment. Then strangely, Mrs. Carol had side stepped Alfred's question.

"Hey, why did you stop washing?" Alfred asked in confusion. Snapping back to reality, Ivan shook his head. "I was wondering about something." Ivan said casually, starting to wash the vegetables again.

"About what?" Alfred asked.

"Have Greg and Mrs. Carol always owned that building?" He asked.

"Oh, no. They only moved in about, oh…what was it?" Alfred said with a thoughtful look. "Three or four years ago? Not too long before I moved in actually. The previous owners of the building decided to move out of state or something I think, so they took over. I think the previous owners were cousins of Greg or something."

"I see." Ivan said, a knowing smile slowly growing on his face. "I see. What did they do for work before they owned the apartment building?"

"Hell if I know. They don't really talk about the past unless they're talking about their kids and grandkids. I think Greg mentioned something about them working over sea at some point in Europe. Somewhere up north, I'm not sure where. Do you want to ask Mrs. Carol? I can call her over if you want." Alfred offered, turning to call out to his land lord, but Ivan grabbed his arm and quickly turned him back around. Alfred gave him a confused look from the sudden touch, but Ivan just offered him a warm smile as he let him go.

"No need to bother her." Ivan pointed out cheerfully as he handed Alfred another potato. "She is busy right now, and we are on a time limit. I shall ask her later when we are not so busy, Da?"

"Oh, I guess you have a point." Alfred said with a shrug as he took the spud from Ivan. "Well, whatever. I'm sure she'd love to tell you about it though. Apparently she and Greg met over there sometime in the 70's and the rest is history. She always loves to tell people that he swooped in and swept her off her feet."

"Really?" Ivan asked with a slight smirk. "I have a hard time imaging the man without a hard look on his face, let alone him being romantic. I always thought he was a hard ass."

"Don't be fooled." Alfred snorted. "You should see him around his grandkids; he's just a softy who's trying to act tough. I swear his granddaughter has him wrapped around her pinky finger. One look at her puppy dog eyes and he folds like wet tissue paper. She makes him wear princess dress's when he attends her tea parties and he never has the heart to say no."

"How do you even know that?" Ivan asked through a snicker of laughter.

"Mrs. Carol shows me the pictures." Alfred said with a laugh. "Apparently he always wears a pink dress."

"I do not believe you!"

"It's true!" Alfred insisted, turning around and waving to catch Mrs. Carol's attention. "Hey, tell Ivan that your husband wears's pink dresses to tea parties!" He yelled. "Ivan's calling bullshit!"

"It's true! He doesn't look half bad either!" Carol yelled back from across the room, throwing them a wicked grin. "I have the pictures on my phone if you want to see!"

"I would not mind seeing that." Ivan said with a grin.

 ***Meanwhile, Somewhere in New York***

"I have an idea on how to apologize to America and Russia!" France said excitably as he ran out of his room and into the sitting area of the hotel room with a large smile on his face. Japan had been sitting on the couch reading a book, but on hearing France approach the couch he glanced up curiously at the Frenchman as he leaned over the back of the couch next to him, giving him an excited smile.

"You do?" Japan asked curiously, and France nodded eagerly.

"Of course I do! And it is a great plan! This is what I have in mind. You know that it was because of me that the whole world now thinks that they are now dating?"

"Yes, I know. I was there." Japan pointed out.

"Well, yes. But that's not the point!" France said, waving away Japan's words. "The point is, since I was the cause of the rumors, then it is up to me to put them to rest, yes? So that is what I am going to do!" France said confidently, gesturing wildly with his hands. "It's perfect! I clear everything up, the other's start to stop talking about it and the rumors fade away, and then America and Russia will not horribly maim my face into dust! They will simply punch me very hard! Everyone wins!"

"Why would the other nations believe you?" Japan asked with a frown.

"Come again?" France asked in confusion.

"Why would they believe you?" Japan asked again.

"I do see why they wouldn't believe me." France pointed out, his smile slowly slipping off his face.

"I do not mean to seem harsh, but you are known for stretching the truth." Japan said sympathetically. "Even if they did want to believe you, it would be odd for you to go from yelling from the roof tops that Alfred and Russia are in love, only for you to turn around and say that it was just a rumor you made up. They would think you are only doing so to save your own skin, which would be true. Not only that, but the damage has already been done."Japan said with a sigh, looking down at the ground with grimace. "It is too late to take back your words. It is already in their heads that they are dating, and you cannot take back an idea once it has spread. Not to mention that they probably wouldn't appreciate you trying to spread more rumors, seeing as the last time you did that it backfired. They would think you are up to something again."

"I see." France said glumly, and with a bone rattling sigh he let himself flop over the back of the sofa so that his hair was covering his face. "Then I don't know what to do." France said miserably into the sofa. "How am I supposed to prove that I did not mean any harm without being killed by them then?"

"I am sure you will figure it out." Japan said, patting France's shoulder kindly.

"Have you figured out what you are going to do about America yet?" France asked, lifting his head up from the couch and giving Japan a curious look.

"I think so. I will be sending a text to him with the address of the hotel by the end of the week with the hotel address and our room number to talk." Japan said nervously. "I am just…" Japan gestured to his phone next to him guilty, "trying to build up the courage, and find the right thing to say when he gets here."

"It seems that you are already ahead of me then." France said with a small smile. "An incomplete plan is still better than no idea, no?"

"I suppose." Japan agreed. They sat there for a few minutes, thinking to themselves. "I have an idea for you." Japan offered suddenly, snapping his book shut and giving France a determined look.

"You do?" France asked, blinking in surprise at the shorter nation's sudden change of attitude.

"Alfred really enjoys your cooking, and you give him cooking lessons, right?" Japan asked, and France nodded in confusion. "Why don't you request to talk to them while you cook for them?" Japan asked, and France's face went white.

"You want me to spend and extended amount of time with the two people who want to kill me the most?! Have you lost your mind?!" France asked in disbelief. "You do remember that I am not only apologizing to America, who can be scary in his own ways, but to the nation that is known to beat his enemies to death because they sneezed in his general direction! Mon Dieu, I would be slathered! Chopped into neat little cubes of meat with my own knifes and cooked with my own recipes! In a sauce of my own creation!"

"Hear me out." Japan said firmly. "Russia might try and kill you-"

"I am not comforted by that in the slightest!"

"but America wouldn't let that happen." Japan continued, ignoring the terrified Frenchman. "He would be angry, yes, but he would not kill you until he has heard the whole story. He would not allow Russia to hurt you until he has heard the whole story, and if you bring food you might ease his temper a little bit more." Japan added with a slight smile. "America is not easily bribed by many things, but food always seems to win him over in the end. It would be like a peace offering. Do you know what his favorite dish is?"

"Burger's are his favorite comfort food; however, I have yet to beat him in a taste testing contest when it comes to that. He wouldn't care if he beat me up if I brought those over. I know that apple pie is his second favorite dish." France said with a thoughtful frown, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "While his pies are still rather good, I still have an edge over him on that dish. Plus, if I bring French vanilla ice-cream to put on top, he might be more willing to listen to me. I suppose it might work…"

"Will you do it then?" Japan asked, and France nodded slowly. "I suppose I could try that. I need to go out and buy the ingredients first. I will be baking it before hand though, as I cannot image how awkward it would be baking for hours with them glaring at the back of my head the whole time." He said with a shudder. "I will need a speedy get away if things go south after all."

"I suppose that makes sense." Japan agreed.

"What food will you be bribing America with then?" France asked, and Japan shook his head.

"None. I do not deserve to soften the blow. I wronged him. I deserve his wrath." Japan said sadly. "And it not his physical wrath that I am worried about. He can do something worse than that to hurt me. He would not even have to lift a finger. Just a couple of words would do it. Or his silence. I would not blame him if decided to not accept my invitation to talk."

"Japan," France said sadly, reaching out and putting a comforting hand on Japan's shoulder, "You know that you have not made a completely fatal mistake right? Yes, you hurt him, but it was only because you loved him. It was mostly me who caused the problems. The only reason America hasn't chased you down yet is because he found out you loved him. That is the thing that has thrown him off the most. Trust me," He said with a slight smile, "if you don't know how to approach him about your feelings, a barley 242 year old adult nation is defiantly won't. He is probably just as worried about talking to you again as you are talking to him."

"What about me following him, or the pictures, or the rumors?" Japan asked worriedly.

France just shrugged in response. "He most likely does not blame you for the pictures, or the cluster fuck that followed. I am sure he has pinned that on me. The only thing he might be angry at you for is following him. And like I said before, he is quick to forgive such things. I think when you talk to him, you should first apologize to him about the stalking, but the thing you will have to talk about the most is feelings you have for him. You must decide where you relationship stands, and where to go from there. However, there is one thing you must remember when you talk. It is very important."

"What would that be?" Japan asked curiously.

"It is not a crime to love someone, nor is it a crime to love someone and not tell them." France said softly. "You should never feel guilty for loving someone. America is not angry at you for loving him, remember that. He is just scared of what that can lead to, and most of all he is scared to lose you because of love. Show him that love doesn't have to hurt him by explaining yourself, and proving that you're willing to fight to keep your friendship. Love doesn't always have to be romantic, you know. I think he fails to realize that sometimes." France said with a nod, he lifted his hand off of Japan's shoulder and he finally stood up and stretched. "But then, so do a lot of people. I think I will head out to pick up those ingredients now, if you don't mind."

"Not at all." Japan said with a nod.

"Thank you for your advice." France said with a wink and a wide grin. "I honestly don't know how I didn't think about using food as a bribe before. It seems obvious now you've pointed it out."

"I could say the same." Japan said with his own small smile. "Thank you."

"What else is the country of l'amour for, if not to fix broken hearts?" France asked with a chuckle as he walked back to his room.

 ***Somewhere in Ukraine***

Ukraine hummed a cheerful tune as she brushed her kitchen. She hadn't been home too long, but between her work and the holidays, she found herself rushing around to make sure everything would be done before the holiday party in a few weeks. She had already had to call her boss and assure him that she wasn't talking to her brother, (she had lied of course), and that her sister was behaving. She had heard from him that her sister's boss had been having melt downs lately due to the fear of Belarus doing something to America, and that he had been constantly bugging her boss for updates. The last thing he wanted was beef with the more powerful nation, and from what her boss had told her, he was worried that Belarus would fly across the world to try and assassinate America in his sleep, blame it on Russia, and start another Cold War. Honestly, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the man. She knew firsthand how much of a handful her sister could be at times.

She had assured him time after time that she had hidden her passport, but her boss was still worried. She had even been told that Russia's boss had been informed of what was going on, and that he had basically shrugged his shoulders with a smirk, and basically said that it wasn't his problem, and wished her sisters boss good luck with the fall out. Again, she couldn't help but feel bad for the man.

Just as she was dumping the dust in a dust pan, there was a knock on her front door. Ukraine frowned as she looked over the door. She hadn't been expecting anyone. She walked over to the door, and looking through the peep hole she felt her heart stutter as she saw her sister standing on her doorstep, smiling sweetly up at the peep hole.

"I know you are there sister." Belarus said in amusement, pointing at the doorstep. "The floor creaks when you step near the door. I repeatedly tell you to fix that, yet you ignore me. Then you wonder how your boss knows you are home."

"I will fix it when I have the money too." Ukraine said with a huff, opening the door and giving her sister an unamused look. "I hope you are not here to ask for your passport. I have told you, I will not give it to you until we leave for the party. Which," she added, giving her sister a stern look, "America says you are still invited too."

"I have not come to ask you for anything, and how kind of him." Belarus said coolly, but at the mention of America's her eyes narrowed slightly. "I simply wanted to talk with my sister. Is that a crime?"

"Of course not." Ukraine sighed.

"Then would you be so kind as to invite me in, or are we going to talk in the cold for the next hour?" Belarus asked gesturing to the frost covered ground around them.

"Of course not, come in." Ukraine said, moving aside so that her sister could come in. Belarus gave her a small smile as she walked in, and after she had taken her coat off they moved into the sitting room. "Would you like a cup of tea?" Ukraine asked as she walked into the kitchen. "The kettle just finished boiling."

"Thank you, I would like that." Belarus replied, her eyes scanning the room slowly like she was looking for something. "I see that you have redecorated." She commented. "Why the change? I thought you liked the old set up."

"It was fine, but I needed a change." Ukraine said with a small shrug as she walked back into the room with their cups. "The old rug was getting frayed on the edges, and the walls need to be repainted anyways, so I decided to just redecorate the whole room. Why, do you not like it? Is it too much?" Ukraine asked worriedly, looking around the room with a frown as she handed Belarus a cup.

"Of course not, I was simply curious." Belarus reassured her sister with a small smile, shaking her head fondly at her sister's worried behavior. "I find it to be nice."

"Oh, you do?" Ukraine asked happily, giving her sister a warm smile as she sat down next to her on the love seat. "I am so relieved. I was worried that the new color was too dark for this room."

"It works fine." Belarus assured her. "So I heard you went over to America for a few days due to some business. Did you see big brother?" She asked casually as she sipped her drink, and Ukraine almost choked on her drink. "Oh, I am sorry, did I startle you?" Belarus asked Ukraine with a slight laugh as her sister coughed up her drink. "I am sorry, my boss told me you went to talk to some of the other nations there, so I was curious."

"Oh, I see…" Ukraine said warily as she used her napkin to clean her face off. "As a matter of fact, I did. I spent an afternoon with him on a bus tour of the city."

"I thought he disliked bus tours?" Belarus asked in confusion.

"Does he?" Ukraine asked with a raised eyebrow. "He has never told me that. In fact, he was quite happy to join me on it. He always joins me on them if I suggest them. He seemed to be having a good time during it, although he almost fell asleep during the walk around the city afterwards."

Belarus shook her head in amusement, but chose not to comment on her sister's obliviousness. "Was he doing well? I know that he was rather unhappy when his boss ordered him to spend a month there." She asked instead. "I hope that he has not had too much trouble with America."

"As far as I could tell, he was doing well enough. America too, when I saw him." Ukraine said with a shrug. "They seemed to be on rather friendly terms when I spoke to them."

"I am happy to hear that. Did America join you two on the tour?" Belarus asked, and she saw her sister stiffen slightly at the question. "I mean, they are dating after all. It would make sense if they were together." She said coldly, and she had to put down the cup she was holding because she could see small fractures in the paint where she was holding it.

"Ah, he did join us, but he is not dating Vanya." Ukraine said quickly. "Vanya told me as soon as I got off the plane that France had only spread a rumor, and that he and America had only become friends recently. It was quite the surprise!" Ukraine said with a nervous laugh. "It turns out that due to the rumors, they have started to repair their friendship! Vanya was so happy to have a friend after so long! But I heard that so much happened at the meeting when we weren't there! It started with-"

But Belarus wasn't listening. Instead, a roaring flood of hot red fury was roaring in her ears. So that American had fooled her brother into thinking they were friends again. That bastard! Up to his same old tricks, and somehow his brother was falling into the same pitfalls. This could only end one way, and that was with her brother's heart being broken yet again by fake smiles and lies. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to steady herself. At least they weren't dating. He older brother wouldn't lie to Ukraine about that, so at least that was a load off of her mind. She could work with this. There was still time to stop America from manipulating her brother further if she acted quickly enough. Perhaps she could even wait till the party to have a "talk" with the American instead of beforehand like she planned. Although she would still keep her watchers on their trail. If only for her peace of mind.

"Are you alright?" Ukraine asked worriedly, and Belarus nodded, and opening her eyes she gave her sister a warm smile. "Hmm, oh yes!" Belarus said, making a show of relaxing her posture and she picked up her cup again. "I am sorry; I was just so relieved to hear that they were not dating that I missed what you were saying."

"You are not angry that they are friends?" Ukraine asked in amazement, and Belarus gave her sister an exasperated look. "Why would I be angry that he has friends? Although I will admit that I would not choose America as a great choice for him, I am happy that big brother is starting to make friends. It will make him very happy, no?" She asked with a cold smile, but Ukraine didn't notice as the stress bled out of her shoulders.

"Oh thank goodness!" She said with a relieved laugh, putting her face into her hands. "I was so worried that you would be angry."

"I only want what is best for him." Belarus said with a huff. "Surly you know that. However, when I find France I will make him pay for causing me stress." She said darkly, her fingers tracing the pocket in her dress where she kept a switch blade.

"I am afraid you will have to wait in line on that." Ukraine said in amusement as she finished her cup of tea. "I am afraid and Vanya and America have claimed first dibs and punishing him as he has caused them the most grief this last week."

"I sure they have. May I have more tea please?" Belarus asked suddenly holding up her empty cup. "I am afraid I finished mine already."

"Of course you can!" Ukraine said brightly, happily taking her sister's cup and she almost skipped into the kitchen. "Oh, I am so happy you aren't angry anymore! Oh, would you like something to eat? I could make us some sandwiches or a snack if you are hungry." She asked from the kitchen.

"Oh, anything will do." Belarus said as she stood up, and as she did so she noticed that one of the corners of the rug was elevated slightly. She quickly walked over to the corner of the rug and pulled it up, and with a cold smile she saw one of the loose floor boards there had been pulled up slightly. Her sister never changed. Pulling it up slightly, she saw that her passport was there, but instead of taking it, she simply put the board down properly and put the rug over it again so it looked untouched. She didn't need it now. No, better to pretend she didn't know where it was for now. "Actually, would you like for me to help you with dinner? It is getting late. We can watch a movie afterwards." Belarus asked as she stood back up.

"Really?!" Ukraine asked, and poking her head out from the kitchen she gave her sister a wobbly smile. "Do you mean that?!"

"Of course." Belarus said, walking up to her sister and giving her a small smile. "It has been so long since we have had an evening to relax. We should make the most of it."

"Of course we should! What a wonderful idea! Come on, I have an idea on what we should cook!" Ukraine said excitably. But as Ukraine turned around, she missed the slight smirk on her sisters face as she followed her into the kitchen.

 **YES! I'M BACK BABY! AND WITH OVER 100 FAVORITES NO LESS! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! So, as a celebration for reaching over 100 favorites and follows, the next chapter is going to be just about Alfred and Ivan for a change with just a butt ton of fluff. 0w0. All the fluff. Hugs, the start of flirting, eating out, them nerding out, the whole shebang! WE WILL HAVE ROMANCE IN THIS STORY DAMN IT! I've done enough build up dang it! I want them to start drawing closer together! If you think its bad waiting to read the romance, you have no idea how hard it is for me to restrain myself from just throwing them together. Like seriously people, the ending of this story is going to make you all explode! The suspense, the drama, THE ROMANCE! It's killing me not to post it right now.**

 **Oh yeah, and everyone else will have plot development soon as well. AND CANADA AND ENGLAND WILL RETURN SOON! :D Until then, AUTHOR AWAY!**


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